


Nearing the Edge of Dawn

by everyjae6



Category: Akdong Musician, BLACKPINK (Band), Big Bang (Band), EXO (Band), GOT7, SHINee, f(x), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Childhood Trauma, Friendship, M/M, Medieval school life, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, magic and swords, there will be fun times and sad times
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-17
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:47:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 38,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28134174
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/everyjae6/pseuds/everyjae6
Summary: The continent of Fodlan houses three formally rival nations, now at peace: the ancient Adrestian Empire in the South and West, the chivalrous Holy Kingdom of Faerghus in the North, and the vibrant Leicester Alliance in the East. Despite their differences in culture and history, all three countries subscribe to the teachings of the Church of the Saints, living under the benevolent and affectionate eyes of the saints. Located in the center of the continent lies Garreg Mach Monastery, doubling as the central headquarters for the Church, as well as a place of study for a select few lucky students from across the three nations.One fateful year, seven young men from across Fodlan step foot into the monastery, completely unaware of the friendships that will be created, relationships that will be tested, and memories that will be created, all while they struggle to complete their school work and earn high marks.Yet nothing is as it truly seems at the monastery, as the hidden darkness lurking beneath the surface threatens to submerge them all.AKA The Fire Emblem: Three Houses AU that nobody but my brain asked for. (Don't need to have played the game to understand the story)
Relationships: Jeon Jungkook/Park Jimin, Jung Hoseok | J-Hope/Min Yoongi | Suga, Kim Namjoon | RM/Kim Seokjin | Jin
Kudos: 2





	1. Chapter 1

It is said that centuries ago, the holy saints shone their heavenly light upon the continent of Fodlan, compassionately blessing the land with rich resources and knowledge. Throughout the years, the continent of Fodlan has come to be comprised of three distinct countries: the ancient Adrestian Empire in the South and West, the chivalrous Holy Kingdom of Faerghus in the North, and the vibrant Leicester Alliance in the East. 

The Adrestian Empire, ruled by an imperial dynasty stretching over 1,000 years, is said to have been created under the blessing of the lead saint himself at the capital city of Enbarr. The antiquity of the Empire alongside its significant connection to the Church has contributed to its esteemed history and position within the continent in the past. However, recent conflict, such as the soft coup led by several of the country’s nobles and a recent war launched by the nearby regions of Dagda and Brigid, has eroded at the strength and authority of the Emperor. Even worse, a strange bout of illness struck the imperial family, leading to the deaths of all of the Emperor’s children save one, the young Princess Jisoo.

In the frigid north lies the Holy Kingdom of Faerghus, a monarchy ruled by a king hailing from the capital city of Fhirdiad. Originally part of the Adrestian Empire, the Kingdom came about following an internal rebellion led by House Kim, and subsequent mediation by the Church. Thanks to its role in earning Faerghus its independence, the royal family and its subjects are ardent supporters of the church, comprising some of the most pious individuals on the continent. Recent misfortune, however, has led the Kingdom to witness the deaths of several nobles, including the king himself. The dark event and subsequent retaliatory actions taken by the Kingdom have come to be labeled as the Tragedy of Duscur. The King’s brother holds the throne whilst the sole survivor of the assassination plot, Crown Prince Seokjin, waits to become of age.

To the East lies the Leicester Alliance, a republic ruled by a council of nobles with its capital city of Derdriu located along the coast. Once a part of the Empire and later the Kingdom, the Alliance was eventually able to earn its independence. Bordering the neighboring country of Almyra, the Leicester Alliance suffers from frequent attacks along its easternmost edge, leading to a somewhat negative attitude surrounding Almyrans. Although there does not exist a ruling monarch given the country’s status as a republic, the Park family has served as the ceremonial leader of the Alliance roundtable since its inception. The mysterious and suspicious death of Duke Park’s son and heir led to slight disorder as the Duke did not have any other known descendants. Surprising everyone, however, the Duke announced an unknown grandson's existence, labeling the mysterious Park Jimin as his next heir and the future leader of the Alliance.

Despite their differences in culture and history, all three countries subscribe to the teachings of the Church, continuing to live under the benevolent and affectionate eyes of the saints. As such, most of the nobles and those commoners who can afford it, send their children to Garreg Mach Monastery to study during their teenage years. Here the students learn the teachings of the Church, alongside combat and magic techniques. The Monastery lies in the center of the continent and also serves as the headquarters of the Church’s leadership, consisting of Archbishop Jiyong and his second-in-command Taeyang. With the new school year beginning, the Monastery prepared to welcome its incoming class of new students.

* * *

Namjoon was headed to the monastery for a reason -- He had a role to play for his father. And if he got a bit distracted with his studies along the way, well, surely it wouldn’t be a problem. Right?

“Now Namjoon, you know it is imperative that you make yourself familiar with the other nobles’ children, especially those from the Alliance. Make sure to dine and have tea with them and do not hesitate to write back home asking for money to fund these lavish social interactions. I have no qualms spending a fortune on actions that will certainly work in our family’s favor in the future. Oh, and don’t forget…”

Namjoon drowned out the sound of his adoptive father, choosing instead to focus on finishing packing his research journals. He ran his fingers across the leather-bound notebooks, rifling through the pages once more out of habit before safely tucking them into his luggage underneath his folded robes.

Besides, it wasn’t like he was missing anything important, and at this point, he most likely had the entire lecture memorized, especially after having heard it about a million times in just the past week.

_Befriend those with power and influence… Stand out and earn the favor of the Church… Listen closely when the other students talk about their families…_ and of course, the most burdensome reminder …

_The future of our house rests in your hands._

The pressure Lord Ahn put on Namjoon filled him with an unmistakable feeling of dread. It was all just too much for someone who had only been a member of this family for the past few years, especially one who did not come from a noble background like Namjoon.

Unlike the other lords, House Ahn was new to the world of Fodlan politics, something which Namjoon shared in common with his new house. Starting out as a simple merchant family, House Ahn eventually accumulated enormous wealth that afforded them a seat at the Alliance roundtable. Yet despite being one of the wealthiest families in the Alliance, the other noble families continued to look down at them, not considering the house as a part of the _true_ nobility. And so, Lord Ahn used whatever method he could to earn power and influence in the hopes that the family name would finally earn the respect it deserved.

Namjoon himself simply existed as another tool for Lord Ahn to further his goals. His adoption into the family was no coincidence, not after Lord Ahn learned he possessed a crest.

While his adoptive father’s ambitious nature could be a bit overwhelming, Namjoon found that he couldn’t hate Lord Ahn. His father wasn’t a bad person, just an ambitious one. The recent deaths of his parents ( _it was all his fault,_ his brain screamed at him _)_ left Namjoon devastated and Lord Ahn had been nothing but gracious following his adoption. He surprisingly had allowed Namjoon to continue his research and even helped fund his expensive reading habits. For this reason, Namjoon played the part of the perfect noble son, doing his best to keep his father happy.

But deep down, Namjoon knew he would eventually mess up and ruin everything like he always did. _It was his curse._

“Oh, I almost forgot! Make sure to become friends with that Park boy. I still do not completely understand how this child was able to exist without anybody knowing about him, but a friendship with him will no doubt benefit us.”

_Park Jimin_ , he had almost forgotten. The boy had caused quite the stir among the nobles when Duke Park announced him as his heir. Nobody knew anything about him or where he had been in the last few years. Heirs typically didn’t appear out of thin air, yet this one did. _How intriguing._

“I hear that he’s going to be the head of the Golden Deer this year,” Namjoon replied as he attempted to decide which books to pack. He weighed both books in his hand, eyeing them meticulously in an effort to discern their relative importance.

_Hmmm, The Fodlanese History of Crests or Crests by Design. Both are rich in substance and it’s impossible to know which will come more in handy. What a difficult decision indeed._

A concept unique to Fodlan, crests were believed to be blessings from the saints. The presence of a crest within an individual bestowed them with enhanced abilities such as a high aptitude for magic or increased strength, among others. Although inherited by blood, crests typically don’t appear in all the offspring of a single bloodline. This fact, in combination with the rarity of crest bloodlines in general (only ten families bloodlines were _known_ to carry a crest), has led crests to have a significant impact on Fodlan society. Crests have long been seen as a sign of prestige and respect, leading to noble families desperately seeking children with a crest, oftentimes forcing arranged marriages for their offspring or disinheriting heirs lacking one.

Namjoon’s fascination with crests stemmed from his own experience with one. Unlike others, he despised his crest, believing it to be the source of bad luck. The _“Crest of the Beast”_ it was called. He made sure to keep his crest a secret, choosing to bear this curse silently with his adoptive father as the sole keeper of his secret. If the others found out, he would surely be forced to leave for wherever Namjoon went, misfortune followed.

E _ven his parents had become victims to his curse._

For that reason, Namjoon dug himself into his research, attempting to discover whether or not it was possible to remove his crest or at least contain it in order to stop himself from hurting anybody in the future.

“That’s correct my son! And it’s the perfect excuse to get to know him. All you need to do is make up some lie about needing his help and he will feel compelled as leader of the house to help,” Lord Ahn cheerfully stated as he paced around the room decorated in rich shades of blue and green, disrupting Namjoon from his inner thoughts.

Met with silence from the boy, Lord Ahn spared a quick glance at his son. Namjoon’s furrowed brow made it clear that he was still having difficulties deciding which book to pack. Sensing his son’s frustration and inner turmoil, Lord Ahn strolled up to him before lightly pointing at the book in his left hand. “I think that one will be best,” he said with a small smile.

Namjoon’s obsession with research and crests, while strange, did fill him with a fondness for the boy. Mostly, Lord Ahn just appreciated the boy’s unyielding dedication to his passion. It reminded the Lord of himself. 

Namjoon looked up with wide eyes, body filling with affection at having his father acknowledge his favorite subject, “Oh yeah? What makes you say that Lord Ahn?”

“Because it’s the only one that will fit in your luggage, son. Besides, I’m sure that you will find the monastery’s own library to be fitting to your reading habits,” the older man began as he tossed Namjoon a small smile, “and I thought I told you to stop being so formal with me.”

Namjoon sheepishly shrugged. _Force of habit_ , he thought to himself. It seemed like almost a lifetime ago that he had been a commoner, but such manners were not easily forgotten.

With a small sign, Lord Ahn placed his hand on Namjoon’s shoulders. He understood Namjoon’s obsession with crests, but the boy also had a more important duty in life. “I understand that your research is important to you, but please remember to prioritize my wishes while at Garreg Mach.” Namjoon’s smile fell a bit, but he made sure to nod his head in response.

“Yes, father,” Namjoon replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

_I know that one day I will have to give up my dreams of being a crest scholar and marry an honest girl from a respectable family, but until then, at least let me continue my research._

He bit his tongue to prevent himself from releasing his inner thoughts. It did not good to dwell on the future when the present presented itself as the largest obstacle in his life.

“Good. Now get some sleep tonight, you’re going to need it for your journey tomorrow.”

* * *

Park Jimin was at the monastery for a reason – He had a dream to fulfill… and his best friend’s complaints were certainly not a part of that dream.

“How much longer until we get to the monastery? And if you say anything over two hours, I swear my butt is going to fall off before we get there!” The figure across from him dramatically sighed in an attempt to demonstrate just how bored he was.

Jimin just rolled his eyes at the exaggerated antics of his best friend before returning back to his book. _I knew it was a mistake to bring him along_. _Maybe if I ignore him, he’ll be quiet. Now where was I again?_ The sound of turning pages once again filled the carriage, although it was quickly covered up by his friend’s groans of annoyance. 

Jimin quietly hummed in amusement. “You know Taemin, maybe you should give up being a dancer and instead join an opera house seeing as how you sure have a penchant for theatrics,” Jimin shot back with a playful glare, not one to miss an opportunity when it presented itself.

The pillow hit his face before he could even react. _Ouch._ The sudden movement had also jostled the sleeping baby, white wyvern lying next to him, causing him to let out a screech of annoyance at being woken up. Taemin even had the gall to look away innocently as if they were not the only two people in the carriage. _The nerve!_

“You know if we weren’t friends you certainly would have been arrested for that blatant disregard for your rank. And for waking up little Chimmy,” Jimin muttered once his mouth was free of the plush pillow.

He then proceeded to throw the pillow back at his friend’s head, who caught it without the slightest bit of hesitation. _Why did Taemin have to have such great instincts? How annoying._ Chimmy seemed to add in his own two cents by trying to nip at Taemin’s hands with his toothless snout before rolling back into a ball in his corner and promptly returning to sleep. 

“Really? Because I seem to recall you telling me to treat you as my equal back when you begged me to join you on this little costumed stunt, _my prince_.” Taemin tacked on that last bit sarcastically when he noticed Jimin’s glare wasn’t letting up.

“First of all, you invited yourself. Second of all, don’t refer to our mission like that. We can’t risk anybody overhearing and learning the truth. And don’t call me prince! My role here is solely as the heir to Duke Park. I’m not a prince in this land.” While he knew his friend was just fooling around with him, any mistake in this land could prove deadly. Honestly, with Taemin’s big mouth, it was a wonder that they were even able to get this far.

Park Jimin was playing a risky game and he knew as much, but it was the only way to achieve his goals… no his dreams. When his grandfather has contacted his mother for the first time in years following the death of his son and heir, Jimin knew he was presented with an opportunity he could not pass up on. 

You see, Jimin wasn’t from the Leicester Alliance. He wasn’t even from Fodlan. Many years ago, his mother had begun a forbidden romance with his father, running away from her cushy life as Duke Park’s only daughter to join his father in an unknown land. Typically, this sort of story might serve as the inspiration for an opera full of love and passion, inspiring future generations of hopeless romantics to never give up on love no matter the barriers or some version of that sort of garbage. _Blech._

The issue? His father was the King of Almyra, the main rival of his mother’s Fodlanese family. And the animosity between both countries was something far more intense than a simple rivalry between neighboring noble houses. Both sides distrusted each other greatly and had many a bloody conflict in the past. Fodlan people viewed Almyrans as uncivilized while the Almyrans believed the Fodlanese to be prim and pompous fools. To say they had a bad history would be putting it lightly. To this day, both sides would not hesitate to draw blood if provoked.

His mother’s decision to abandon her family in Fodlan would have forsaken Duke Park’s role in the Alliance had the other nobles found out; nobody would have sung songs of their love… only written stories of contempt for the nature of their inferior relationship. As such, Duke Park kept the truth to himself, choosing instead to feed the rumor that his daughter had mysteriously disappeared. This lie, along with his mother’s silence, seemed to quell any interest in the issue. To the other Fodlan nobles, she had just vanished into thin air, never to be heard from again. But in truth, she had become the queen consort to a powerful king.

The circumstances of Park Jimin’s birth made him an outsider and he knew it. The other children had always tried ( _and succeeded)_ to make him aware of this fact. He was neither Almyran nor Fodlanese, and as such was mercilessly bullied and sneered upon from a young age. Having the King of Almyra as his father did nothing to stop the constant exclusion and barrage of insults. If anything, it made it worse. His only saving grace was being able to befriend Taemin, who didn’t seem to care about the circumstances of his birth or blood.

His own mother had faced similar treatment in the beginning, but she had managed to earn her spot as consort to the King. Her strength and skills as a fighter -- prized traits among Almyrans-- had lessened the insults, earning her some level of respect in the country.

Jimin supposes his mother was able to come so far in Almyra because she had everything to lose. By running away with his father, his mother had chosen to be disowned by Duke Park, giving up her claim to the family name and all that came with it. There would have been nothing for her to return to if she failed, and so she made sure to win.

But Jimin wasn’t like his mother. He stood out for all the wrong reasons. Jimin wasn’t the strongest, the fiercest, or the most talented. For a country that prized strong fighters, Jimin was certainly at a severe disadvantage.

But he had skills the other Almyran children didn’t. He was _clever_ , he was _intuitive_ , he knew _how people worked_ , and he had a _dream_. And for those reasons alone, Jimin knew he wouldn’t fail. Respect wasn’t handed out in this land, it had to be earned. Like his mother before him, Jimin would _earn_ his role as the Prince and future King of Almyra. Only then would he be able to achieve his goal of breaking the cultural barrier and reducing the discrimination faced by “outsiders”, ultimately opening up Fodlan to the outside world.

So when his grandfather had reached out to him asking for his help, Jimin was quick to pull out his quill and draft a reply. And when he arrived before his aging grandfather in this unfamiliar land dressed in unfamiliar clothing, he was prepared to accept the request that he attend school at the monastery as the next heir to Park Dukedom. The monastery was home to the next generation of Fodlan’s elites, making it crucial for Jimin to attend and learn more about the ways and people of this country.

Jimin reached over to stroke Chimmy’s head, running his fingers over the small bumps where his horns would eventually grow from. His affectionate actions earned him a small purr of contentment from the wyvern. “We have to do our best to fit in here,” Jimin said, finally turning his attention back to Taemin.

“Oh yeah of course, I mean it’s not like your choice in jewelry makes us stand out or anything,” Taemin sarcastically replied, tacking on a quick “kidding, of course!” when his joke failed to land with Jimin.

Jimin unconsciously tugged on his dangling earring made from colorful, glimmering jewels from his homeland. Back in Almyra, the earring indicated his status as a prince, but here in Fodlan, it was likely to be seen as an oddity. Despite this, Jimin refused to hide it. It could possibly blow his cover ( _not that anybody was likely to recognize its symbolism given the general ignorance of the Fodlan people to any culture besides their own)_ , but Jimin refused to give up any more of his identity. He was already wearing what he thought to be a costume, but there was no need to completely erase his heritage.

Taemin let out a small sigh before reaching over and lightly placing a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Look Jimin, everything’s going to be fine. With your brains and my beauty, strength, talent, skills,” a quick glare from Jimin made him continue,” umm anyways, you have nothing to worry about. I’m sure this experience is going to be beneficial to your dream.” Taemin’s strange attempt at cheering Jimin up did console him. Taemin’s own personal brand of weirdness tended to do that.

“Yeah, you’re right,” Jimin replied back with a small smile after resuming his petting of Chimmy, ”We just have to carefully blend in with these other nobles. From what I’ve read and heard about some of them, they all seem so different from us. Like did you know that households of both the Adrestian princess and the Faerghus prince have seen major losses in the recent years _?_ ”

_What a strange coincidence._ Jimin was definitely going to have to do some more digging on these nobles once he made it to the monastery. There were many mysteries to be unveiled and secrets to be uncovered.

“Wow, that must be awful. But you can’t deny that’s weird. Any idea why that would be? You should definitely ask them when we get to the monastery” Taemin inquired, completely oblivious to the thoughtlessness of his words. There was a reason Jimin was the brains behind the operation.

“How would I know? Do you honestly expect me to stroll up to both of them and say ‘ _Hi guys! My name’s Park Jimin and I’m the heir to the Leicester Alliance, so like, care to tell me about the gruesome circumstances under which your families’ died?_ ’ What a great idea Taemin!”

Taemin pouted at his friend. “You didn’t have to be so rude about it.”

“Sorry,” Jimin quickly apologized with a shrug, “but I do agree that something weird is up with what happened to their families. I mean the Tragedy in itself is already fishy, but how does an illness only wipe out the royal children but not anybody else in the household. Things aren’t adding up here and I would like to get to the bottom of it.”

While Taemin did a small dance in his seat at being right about his hunch (“Oh yeah, I’m right about this!! Just call me Sir Intuitive!!!”), Jimin sild open the wood paneling on the side of the carriage, revealing the passing landscape.

Off to the horizon, he could start to make out the telltale architecture of the monastery. The tall peaks of the castle towering over the surrounding green hills, showcasing the splendor of the Church in all its glory.

_Finally here._ One journey had ended, and another was about to begin.

* * *

Min Yoongi was at the monastery for a reason—He was looking for an escape. And if he could work on his fighting skills whilst getting away from his father, well then it was the perfect solution.

“Master Min, we have arrived at the monastery”

Yoongi rolled his eyes in irritation at the carriage driver’s words. _Obviously._ As he had just perfectly demonstrated, Yoongi possessed two well-functioned eyes that were more than capable of deciphering where they were.

The squealing noises exerting from the wheels of the carriage along with the slowing trots of horses indicated the vehicle was slowly moving to a halt, signaling that Yoongi was almost free to leave. He made sure to force his way out of the carriage before the driver could open the door for him. Yoongi hated having somebody waiting on his beck and call, differentiating him from the other ( _spoiled and lazy)_ children of nobles. 

_He didn’t need any help_. Yoongi was perfectly capable of doing things by himself -- everyone else just slowed him down.

While his driver struggled with unloading the rest of his luggage, Yoongi made his way towards the young knight seemingly in charge of directing the incoming students. He was dressed in a standard lightweight, silver armor, however, he lacked his helmet, probably in an effort to more easily welcome guests. Upon noticing Yoongi headed in his direction, the knight shot him a large, friendly smile. _How gross_.

“Hello! I’m the monastery’s Gatekeeper Junkyu and we are pleased—” “—Min Yoongi. Where is my room?” The knight’s smile faltered a bit at his interruption, likely not used to this type of reaction from a student, before quickly returning to its previous strength.

“Ah I see, you must be Duke Min’s son! The monastery has assigned you a room on the second floor, next to that of the other Faerghus nobles! You guys are probably great friends right. What fun that should —”

_…Hoseok … and Seokjin. Great._ Yoongi had to fight down the bile that rose in his throat. This school year was going to be absolutely unbearable.

“Give the directions to my driver so he can drop off my things in my room. Tell him to leave once he’s done,” Yoongi sharply interrupted again, feeling particularly incensed at learning who was going to live in the neighboring rooms.

“Anything else Sir Min,” the knight spit out through his now forced smile. _Well somebody’s upset now_. Yoongi’s hostility and generally disgruntled personality tended to do that. Not that he cared.

“Where are the training grounds?” Yoongi asked, wanting to get in some training before he was forced to attend the boring ( _and mandatory)_ welcoming events. He also wanted to put off heading to his room, trying to avoid any unnecessary meetings with _them_ before classes started.

“Training grounds? They won’t officially open until tomorrow when classes start --”

Yoongi gave him another sharp glare, daring the knight to challenge him. “ _Where are the training grounds?”_ Each word snappily enunciated and filled with frustration, causing the poor knight to quiver with fear.

“Past the dormitories and sauna. You can’t miss them,” he all but squeaked out. Yoongi headed in that direction without saying another word.

After weaving through a barrage of new students settling into their new dormitories and avoiding anybody who even looked in his direction, Yoongi finally made it to the large, metal doors of the training grounds, using his strength to push them open.

As expected, the room was completely empty, save for the racks of wooden training weapons and practice dummies. It was a nice escape from the bothersome scene outside of the doors. In this familiar environment, Yoongi finally felt at peace.

He detached his trusty sword from his side, feeling the cool metal of the weapon against his lithe fingers. Yoongi methodically used his blade to cut through the air in front of him, shifting his weight from foot to foot, executing warm-up moves that his muscles had long since memorized…

_SWISH! THWACK!_

_“Am I doing this right hyung!”_

_“Perfect Yoongi! Just like that. Now watch your form!”_

…Just like his older brother had taught him.

The fog of memories hit Yoongi particularly hard, the sound of his childish laughter ringing in his ears as his brother let him land hit after hit in order to appease his younger brother. Yoongi bursting into tears when his brother had jokingly pretended to have been seriously hurt by Yoongi’s poor attempts at sword fighting. The way he weakly slammed his fists on his brother's chest, which was rumbling with laughter, in mock anger when he realized it was all a joke.

Yoongi wasn’t sure why the memories had suddenly come flooding in—he had long since sealed them up. None of them mattered anyway, now that everything had changed. Yoongi was a different person and he couldn’t afford to be weighed down by useless memories.

Still, the recollections of the past succeeded in angering him more than usual. Yoongi turned his attention to the practice dummies, slashing and attacking them as if they were somehow responsible for making him relive his memories. The dummies sustained hit after hit, eventually falling apart under his repeated attacks, forcing Yoongi to move on to the next one.

Yoongi’s talent with a sword had emerged in the last few years of his life through sheer hard work and practice, earning him a positive reputation among his countryman. The harsh nature of the frigid Faerghan landscape was not kind to the weak, making it important for the children to learn how to fight from an early age. It was often said that Faerghus children learned how to wield a weapon before learning how to walk. 

Sword fighting was almost second nature to Yoongi at this point, judging by how he had long since mastered the moves shown to him by the instructors at home and by how the guards would draw straws in order to determine which fighter had the unlucky pleasure of practicing with Yoongi when he was in want of a good fight.

But no matter how good Yoongi got at fighting, there would always be those lofty noblemen who compared his skills to those of his brother.

“ _He wields the sword as well as his brother... Maybe one day he will earn the same honorable position as his brother before him.”_

He particularly wanted to slice those individuals in half. Yoongi wasn’t his brother… he was just himself, yet nobody seemed to understand this. Not even his father.

Far too focused on his moves, Yoongi failed to hear the door to the training grounds opening, nor the laidback footsteps heading his way. It wasn’t until he heard the low whistle behind him that Yoongi realized he was no longer alone.

“Whew! Look at you go Yoongs!”

In a split second, Yoongi pivoted his weight, spinning to face the stranger, and drawing his sword up to the stranger’s throat in a warning manner.

The man threw up his arms in surprise, trying to show the smaller man that he was no threat. “Whoa there Yoongs. It’s just me. No need to get so defensive, I mean, surely that’s no way to treat your best friend.”

Yoongi stared into the taller man’s eyes menacingly, before taking in his appearance. Hoseok had grown taller since they had last seen each other and he had lost all of his baby fat, leaving behind a lean and handsome figure ( _much to his annoyance_ ). His wild, flaming red hair had not changed much, and to Yoongi’s displeasure, neither had the ever-present nonchalant smirk plastered on his face.

“Who said we were friends,” Yoongi replied while finally lowering his sword from Hoseok’s neck, turning his body away from the man, and returning back to practicing his sword stances.

“I didn’t say we were friends. I said we were _best friends_ , which is different and arguable far more intimate.” Yoongi didn’t need to face Hoseok to know that he was wiggling his eyebrows flirtatiously. He fought back both the exasperated groan and malicious comment at the edge of his throat. _We haven’t talked in years. What gives you the right to think we’re friends after everything you’ve done_. 

“Why are you here anyway,” Yoongi’s mouth begrudgingly asked in annoyance despite his brain wanting nothing more than to end the conversation. 

“Weelllll, I saw your carriage driver bringing up your luggage to your room and I went over to say hello, but you were nowhere to be seen! Naturally, I headed to the training grounds first because I had an inkling that you would be here. And well, here I am!” The relaxed tone of Hoseok’s voice grated against Yoongi’s nerves. He was acting as if nothing had changed between the two of them. Yoongi slashed through the air particularly ferociously, causing Hoseok to instinctively lean back away from him.

_At least the time hadn’t dulled his senses,_ Yoongi thought bitterly. 

“You’ve seen me. Feel free to leave,” Yoongi spit out through gritted teeth, “unless you’re here to practice.”

Yoongi knew he wasn’t. Hoseok had never been particularly fond of training, preferring instead to laze around, and according to the current gossip swirling around the Kingdom, spend his time with certain _distractions_. Pretty distractions with long hair and lips painted various shades of pink and red. _How revolting_.

“With you? Yeah, no chance. Especially after what happened to these guys here,” Hoseok replied, gesturing to the destroyed training dummies, “I’m pretty sure the Archbishop is going to be a tad bit annoyed at the fact that someone obliterated their equipment _before_ the school year even started.”

Hoseok let out a small laugh, completely oblivious to the fact that Yoongi wasn’t entertained by his antics. Nothing was ever serious with Hoseok, and the constant joking was starting to drive Yoongi insane.

“Why are you still here?” Yoongi questioned, trying to get the other man to stop distracting him from his training. Hoseok blinked in surprise at the sharpness behind his words, before tossing his hand behind his head, his casual expression returning to grace his face.

“To be honest, your dad sent both me and Seokjin letters, and while I can’t speak to what was in His Highness’s letter, mine asked to write back telling him you safely arrived at the monastery. He also wants to hear from me about how school’s been every now and then. I know it’s been years since I last saw him, but I must say I truly appreciate his concern for our wellbeing.”

_That was the wrong thing to say_.

Something that typically clueless Hoseok realized that after he finished speaking, looking like he wanted to return the words back into his mouth upon seeing the incensed expression on Yoongi’s face.

_How dare the old man enlist his former friends to encroach upon his privacy,_ Yoongi thought. Writing letters to Hoseok and that _monster_? The old man certainly was set on making Yoongi’s life a living hell. Yoongi went to the monastery to get away from his father’s suffocating presence, but it looked like he hadn’t been successful.

Yoongi halted his movements, once again pivoting to face the man next to him, drawing up his sword to point at Hoseok’s chest menacingly.

“I see. You’re prepared to spy on me for my fool of a father, yet you couldn’t be bothered to draft a reply to the countless letters I sent you in the past. You ignored me back then when I needed you the most.”

_Back when my brother died and my entire world shattered,_ the unspoken words, despite never coming out of Yoongi’s mouth, hung ominously in the air around both men, placing a burden on their shoulders. They both knew exactly what Yoongi was referring to. 

That had been a low blow and they both knew it, but Yoongi couldn’t feel bothered to feel sorry. A look of hurt flashed across Hoseok’s face as he struggled to explain himself.

“Yoongi I would never--” Hoseok weakly responded, trying to explain his point of view, not that Yoongi was going to let him.

“Just leave me alone Hoseok. It shouldn’t be too hard. You already have plenty of practice,” Yoongi curtly cut him off, effectively ending the conversation and withdrawing his sword from Hoseok’s chest.

While anybody else would have stopped at this point, Yoongi kept going, not sparring any punches, “I’m sure you can find some nice _friend_ outside that will be willing to spend some time with you.”

“If that’s what you want, “Hoseok dejectedly replied, finally giving in to his friend’s venom. “See you in class Yoongi.” He left without another word.

Yoongi could hear Hoseok’s footsteps fade into the distance but didn’t bother looking back.

* * *

Kim Seokjin was at the monastery for a reason—He was looking for justice. For his parents, and friends, and all those that tragically lost their lives in the Tragedy of Duscur. 

Burning red flames licking at his skin, corpses littering the ground, the crimson blood dripping along his face, the screams of the royal guard piercing through the air, his father begging someone … anyone to save his son. The memories plagued Seokjin to this day, years later. As the sole survivor of the event, Seokjin felt burdened to carry their ghosts with him until he could enact the justice the victims so deserved.

Even now, as he sat unpacking his luggage in his new dormitory, Seokjin couldn’t help but think of all that he had lost and all that needed to be done.

Attending school at the monastery had seemed like the best course of action. Seokjin hadn’t been able to gain any new insight into the Tragedy while stuck at home in Fhirdiad. Everybody around him had kept silent when Seokjin came around asking questions, thinking him weak and wanting to shield him from reliving that horrible experience. He wasn’t able to gleam a crumb of information from those around him. Seokjin didn’t think they were hiding information, but their silence definitely hindered his efforts at finding the _true_ perpetrators of the attack.

_True perpetrators_.

The Kingdom had decided long ago that the Duscur people were the culprits for the horrible attacks. The Kingdom, under new leadership ( _his useless uncle_ ), decided to punish the Duscur people for their alleged crime without a sliver of evidence, decimating their cities and massacring their population, leaving only a handful of survivors. All because the royal family happening to be en route to the country of Duscur for a diplomatic meeting when their party was attacked. It was a horrible coincidence that led to many unnecessary deaths.

B _ut the Duscur people couldn’t possibly act alone_ , reasoned the Kingdom. And so they “uncovered” the involvement of several Kingdom citizens, some nobles, in conspiring to murder the royal family, leading to their prompt execution. Whether they were actually involved in the Tragedy, Seokjin couldn’t say for certain.

Seokjin had long since attempted to explain years ago that the Duscur people were not to blame for the assassination event. As the sole survivor, his words should have held importance. But Faerghan citizens were bent on exacting revenge for the death of their beloved King, choosing instead to downplay the memories of an “obviously traumatized child”. And so Seokjin carried the weight of their deaths as much as his family’s.

Seokjin hoped that by attending the monastery as a student, he would come across important information concerning the Tragedy. The Church, existing as one of the oldest institutions in Fodlan, was in possession of centuries worth of documents and resources, knowledge that would no doubt help Seokjin shed some light on the events of the past. Somebody somewhere had to have information on what truly happened, and Seokjin knew that the Church could help lead him to the truth. 

The thoughts inside Seokjin’s head tended to overwhelm him, and he could feel a massive headache arising while he continued to unpack. _How bothersome,_ Seokjin thought. The day was still long from over and he still had plenty of welcoming events to attend as the head of the Blue Lions house.

Seokjin neatly folded his clothes into his drawers, stacked his books and journals from home on top of his desk, and displayed his favorite weapons wherever they fit, save for one.

On his bed lay a glowing lance, his family’s own Hero’s Relic, a weapon that had belonged to his bloodline since its inception. Hero’s Relics were thought to be rare weapons gifted to humanity by the Saints. Containing immense power, each relic is powered by a crest stone and could only be fully wielded by an individual with a corresponding crest; only those with a crest were able to draw out the full power of a Hero’s Relic.

Seokjin was lucky enough to be born with a minor Crest of Kim, making him capable of harnessing the full power of the lance Areadbhar, just like his father before him. With his crest and his Hero’s Relic, Seokjin would be an unstoppable force to his enemies.

His incompetent uncle _(who had been particularly successful in running the country into the ground)_ had left the lance in his possession as a going-away gift. Not like he could have wielded it anyway with his lack of a crest. Seokjin assumed there must have been some irony hidden somewhere.

_Here take this dangerous weapon in exchange for letting me waste our family’s immense fortune on wine and women, free of your watchful eye! See you in a few years, if I haven’t destroyed the country by then!_

He raked his eyes over the lance once more. Areadbhar was remarkably large, surpassing even Seokjin in height. Unlike other weapons, the relic was of interesting construction, built from material resembling bones rather than metal, yet its durability was no doubt superior to the common lance.

Seokjin reached over to grip the base of the lance. Immediately, the red glow emanating from the weapon brightened and a soft pulsing could be felt in his hands, indicating that the relic was being activated by his crest. _When Areadbhar’s fully activated, it almost looks …human-like? The pulsating resembles a heartbeat, like it was somehow alive,_ Seokjin thought. How strange.

Seokjin released the lance from his grip, its glow diminishing. Seokjin couldn’t possibly imagine a circumstance under he would need Areadbhar at the monastery. I mean, it’s not like he was going to face life-threatening situations while studying. For now, Areadbhar would sit in the corner of his room, waiting for a moment when it would be needed.

He walked up to his desk and opened up the notebook containing his schedule for the day. _Hmm, looks like I have an introductory meeting with the other House heads next,_ Seokjin gathered from his itinerary.

As the head of the Blue Lions house, Seokjin understood he would have to act as the delegate for his classmates. While such a position could be burdensome to others, Seokjin realized that such a leadership position would no doubt be a beneficial experience, helping him prepare for his eventual role as King. Plus, it would be nice to get to meet the other house heads.

Park Jimin, the head of the Golden Deer, had created quite the stir when he seemingly appeared out of nowhere. The gossip from the Alliance had even managed to reach the Kingdom, which was quite the feat.

The head of the Black Eagles, however, had immediately drawn his attention when he heard who had earned the position.

Kim Jisoo.

How long had it been since they had last met?

They had only spent one summer together many years ago, yet that brightness associated with those memories was enough to shine through the general darkness clouding his recollections of the past.

The innocent friendship of children, the way her chocolate-brown hair shone in the sunlight, her bright smile as she frolicked around the castle with Seokjin, her constant motherly nagging as if they weren’t the same age, the day she finally had to return back to the Adrestian Empire without her mother.

Seokjin wondered, _did she still remember him as clearly as he remembered her?_

He truly hoped so.

With a small sigh, Seokjin removed the final item from his luggage, shutting the trunk with a small _click_. An aging pocket-sized painting decorated with a glimmering silver frame, depicting a young Seokjin along with his father and stepmother before their lives were ruined. He placed the picture on the small table next to his bed, someplace where he would be able to see the painting after waking up and before going to sleep. Where he would never lose sight of his purpose for being at the monastery.

With that done, Seokjin was ready for the new school year to begin.

* * *

Jeon Jungkook was at the monastery for a reason—He needed to become stronger. And because Jungkook didn’t have much time left, he needed to stay particularly focused on his goal. For his parents. 

Jungkook’s dedication to his studies led him to the second floor of the monastery, where he was currently rifling through the various books found within the Church’s library collection. He had arrived at the monastery early on, immediately dumping his things in his room ( _a problem for another time)_ , before seeking out the library.

Reason magic, faith magic, sword fighting techniques, proficient ax-wielding strategies, flying advice, leadership skills. _There’s much to read. So much to learn. I’m likely going to have to pull some all-nighters in order to go through all this material_ , Jungkook thought to himself as he turned the page of his current book.

Despite being midday, the lack of windows gave the library a dark, yet somehow cozy atmosphere. Tall, wooden shelves filled with books and scrolls lined the wall, overflowing with all sorts of knowledge. Long tables occupied the middle of the room, providing visitors a comfortable place to study, golden candelabras strategically placed around the room, illuminated the words written on the pages of books.

The Church’s book assortment was quite admirable and far more expansive than Jungkook was used to back home. Despite coming from a noble family from the Leicester Alliance, his family’s library paled in comparison. Jungkook had long since read through their entire stock of books. The people who helped curate the Church’s collection across the centuries definitely deserved some recognition for their hard work and exquisite taste.

Although currently empty ( _because no one was crazy enough to start studying before the school year officially started),_ Jungkook assumed that the library was probably quite the hot spot during the school year.

_I need to be sure to stake my claim to one of these tables_ , Jungkook mused, starting to plan ahead. After all, he was likely going to be spending most of his time here.

A quiet rustling noise altered Jungkook to the presence of a stranger behind him. He looked up from his book to meet the eyes of the excessively amiable librarian. “My what a pleasant surprise to see such an eager student! Studying before classes start, how diligent!” The borderline ancient man clapped his hands in delight.

Not liking being interrupted, but not wanting to embarrass his parents’ honor by being rude, Jungkook gave a curt the librarian a curt nod and a forced smile, but no other indication of wanting to continue a conversation. _There. Are you happy mother?_

Instead of immediately leaving, the librarian stuck around for a bit longer, staring straight into Jungkook’s face, seconds uncomfortably ticking away. For some reason, Jungkook felt shivers run down his spine. “Anything I could do to help with your studies,” the old man asked after what seemed like an eternity.

“No thank you. I’m doing all right.” Jungkook quickly replied, hastily ducking his head, pretending to read his book. _Just leave already_.

“If you insist. But please let me know if you need anything.” The librarian gave him one last strange look, eyes flicking up to his hair, before finally turning away and heading to his office.

The man gave off creepy vibes for some strange reason, looking at Jungkook as if he somehow knew something the younger man didn’t. Like he was in on a secret that Jungkook wasn’t. _Weird._

Jungkook guessed the man’s strange actions must have been due in part to his usual appearance. His snow-white hair and bright pink eyes tended to attract the eyes of those passing by. _I mean who wouldn’t stare_?

Jungkook had grown used to gawking strangers, having been exposed to such actions since the day when he first woke up to see his hair had lost all pigment, iris’ also shifted to a brighter color. It was a side-effect of the horrible things that had been done to him, constantly serving to remind him of his limited future. 

He definitely wasn’t looking forward to starting class tomorrow, for many reasons. Jungkook knew he would have to endure the staring of his new classmates and might even have to fend off invasive questions from the particularly brave ones. It was truly frustrating, taking up far too much of his time than necessary.

Jungkook was also not in any mood to engage with the other Alliance children from noble families, after their parents’ response to his family’s downfall. _Or lack of response better said_ , Jungkook thought bitterly.

It had happened many years ago, while Jungkook was still a child. People were dying, resources were running out, so Jungkook’s parents felt compelled to assist the Gong house from the Adrestian Empire with whom they shared a border, trying to lessen the loss of human life. Unfortunately, their compassion had led to their downfall.

The Jeon family had only been answering a call for help, yet the Emperor hadn’t seen it that way, choosing instead to believe the House Jeon was intervening in the politics of a country they did not belong to. The Emperor demanded House Jeon be punished for allying with House Gong in their attempt to cede from the Empire.

And the rest of the lords from the Alliance, not wanting to earn the wrath of the Empire, turned a blind eye to their punishment, letting House Jeon suffer under the hands of the Empire. _So much for country solidarity._

So it might be a bit of an understatement to say that Jungkook wasn’t necessarily pleased about having to share a classroom with many of the children of the nobles who did nothing to help his family.

A loud clattering noise from the corner of the library shook Jungkook out of his thoughts. A tall, lanky stranger, dressed in fine clothing ( _a noble perhaps?)_ had accidentally dropped a stack of books, causing the loud noise. “Sorry,” the man whispered with a sheepish smile.

Jungkook gave him a small nod in acknowledgment before returning his attention back to his studying.

_Guess I’m not the only weird one studying before classes even start_.

With that thought, Jungkook dove deeper into the words written on the page before him, trying to at least distract himself from the future for the moment being.

* * *

Kim Taehyung was at the monastery for a reason—He was here to earn his place in the world. And if he happened to take some time off from his training to focus on his art, well surely that would be perfectly fine? …Right?

The scene standing here outside of the cathedral overlooking the natural landscape filled Taehyung with inspiration. The monastery’s precise location nestled in the mountains invited visitors to some of the most beautiful sights known to humanity. Sprawling green hills that never seemed to end, rainbow gardens dedicated to the Saints, the majestic wings of the pegasi as they dived deeper into the brilliant azure sky under the guidance of their riders.

Taehyung tried his hardest to capture the sight, charcoal pencils hurriedly smudging against the pristine white pages of his notebook, a skill he had long since mastered. The final painting would no doubt come later. For now, a simple sketch would suffice to quench his artistic direction.

Taehyung was still getting used to such splendors, having spent the majority of his life scavenging around in the dirty ditches of the Kingdom’s capital Fhirdiad. Searching for morsels of food in the damp alleyways, sleeping in sewers for the night, and even resorting to thieving in order to survive following the unfortunate deaths of his parents when he was young,

It was actually when Taehyung was in the middle of thieving that his life changed entirely. Unbeknownst to him, Taehyung had chosen one fateful night to plunder from the manor of House Song, the reigning nobles over that region of the Kingdom.

Although skilled enough to enter and leave a house without a sound by that point, something particular caught his eye, distracting him long enough for Lord Song to catch the intruder in his home.

The object in question?

A magnificent painting of a lion proudly leading an army into war. The other side appeared much larger in size with better weapons, but the lion’s side did not waver in their courage. _Not typically the kind of stuff you see while living in the gutter_.

Rather than punish him for his crimes, Lord Song decided to sit Taehyung down opposite the object of interest and explain the meaning behind the painting that had captured his attention.

_“This illustration portrays the bravery of the one noble that would eventually earn the Kingdom its freedom from the Adrestian Empire.”_

_“Why a lion?”_ Taehyung had asked in curiosity, being familiar with the story but not with this particular portrayal.

_“Kingdom artists typically portray the First King of Faerghus, King Kim, as a lion as a way of symbolizing his uncanny strength, as well as the natural majestic air surrounding him. The First King successfully accomplished a feat hitherto undreamt of-- no mere human could have led our ancestors to such a victory... or at least that’s what the artists think.”_

_“I think I get it now.”_ Taehyung replied, wide eyes still staring at all the intricate details the artist had managed to fit into the small canvas.

Lord Song had eyed the frail boy with a similar understanding. Taehyung’s life story could read from a single glance and had been the first thing the Lord had noticed. _How could such a young child already have such an intimate relationship with misfortune?_

Taehyung had become a part of the household on that day, officially being adopted by Lord Song. He no longer had to scavenge for scraps or for a place to live; Taehyung was treated to five-course meals, given his own room that was far too large for just one person, dressed in the finest clothes, and even given a new brother. For that, Taehyung would always be grateful, showing his gratitude by trying his hardest to please his adoptive father.

Which was why he was at the monastery in the first place. Lord Song had used his status to secure him a position as a student, wanting Taehyung to become a great and revered fighter of the Kingdom, just like the First King Kim…just like his new brother Seo Joon had been.

But Taehyung didn’t want to be a knight. His adoptive father had confused his true interest that fateful night. You see, Lord Song had mistakenly believed he was astounded by the beauty of the battle scene depicted in the painting. In reality, Taehyung had fallen in love with the beauty of the art itself, wanting nothing more than to be capable of emulating such heavenliness.

He wanted to be a painter, and a great one at that, not a knight. However, Taehyung felt thoroughly trapped by his father’s expectations.

Besides, becoming a great knight hadn’t stopped his brother Seo Joon from meeting his early end.

Taehyung still recalls the day his beloved older brother was unjustly labeled as an accomplice to the assassination of the King and subsequently sentenced to death. 

_Nothing about Seo Joon signaled that he was a criminal. He had to have been innocent. They were making a mistake_! Taehyung remembered screaming this at the guards, tears streaming down his face, as they carried away his brother to be executed.

Nobody had listened to his pleas or his father’s. Everyone just wanted “justice” for what had happened to the King, not caring who got innocently dragged into the mess.

Tears threatened to slip out of his eyes at the sudden recollection of his memories. Taehyung hastily wiped his eyes with his sleeve. _You’re not going to start crying again. Seo Joon would want you to be stronger_ , he sternly reprimanded himself.

A loud ringing echoed through the air, emanating from the nearby bell tower, signaling the welcoming ceremony was about to start. Taehyung finished up his rough sketch of the landscape with a few more quick marks of his pencil.

_There, that should be good enough for now._ He closed his journal, before tucking it into his bag along with his other drawing supplies.

Taking a deep breath, Taehyung placed his hands firmly on the stone overlook, taking one final look at the beauty surrounding him.

He was going to try his best this school year …for his father… for Seo Joon.

With that final thought, he started to make his way to the grand hall.

* * *

Hoseok was at the monastery for a reason—He was looking for freedom. And if he partakes in certain indulgences to distract himself from the grim reality of his future, well then who could blame him?

In fact, as he casually stood there “listening” to Archbishop Jiyong’s welcoming speech in the grand hall, one such _indulgence_ happening to catch his eye. Off to Hoseok’s right side stood a pretty girl from another house who seemed to be eyeing him with interest, not that he minded. Hoseok was well aware of his effect on others and he welcomed the attention.

Hoseok shot the student a well-rehearsed smile, slightly crooked but entirely charming. His actions seemed to have the desired result judging from the blooming pink blush that dusted her cheeks before she looked away, embarrassed at having been caught staring at Hoseok.

He let out a small chuckle at her actions before returning his attention back to the Archbishop. The girl would definitely give Hoseok a bit of fun, but he would drop her before she attempted to move their relationship further. And after it was all over, she would come to him screaming insult after insult, and he would take all the anger because he really did deserve it.

Hoseok had the cycle memorized by now after all the years of practice. He really wished his flings would try to be a bit more creative and give him more of a unique experience. _Oh well._

There were all sorts of names for men like him and he was sure that during his stay here at the monastery he was going to be called all of them. He was also preparing himself for the barrage of slaps and punches he was likely to encounter.

Despite this, Hoseok wasn’t looking for commitment right now. His father was no doubt already working hard on that, going through a long list of noble-born girls with a large fortune, deciding which one will be the best candidate for a future daughter-in-law. He sincerely felt sorry for whichever girl would be forced into a marriage with human-scum like him. _Lucky her,_ Hoseok thought sarcastically. 

All Hoseok wanted a momentary diversion, some fleeting fun that would no doubt anger his father whilst simultaneously distracting him from his future.

_Was that selfish? Of course it was_. But he had long since abandoned any respect for himself or any concern for those he hurt.

Hoseok took to scanning the room and its occupants as the Archbishop continued to drawl on. Archbishop Jiyong, with his other-worldly emerald-colored hair, had an air of prominence and eminence that commanded respect. Even without the presence of his decorative robes and intricate gold-plated headpiece, any individual could sense the innate sense of authority radiating from the Archbishop. It almost made Hoseok feel bad for not paying attention to his speech. _Almost._

To his side stood his second-in-command, Taeyang, who also seemed to possess a similar regal-like aura to that of the Archbishop. Both men also shared a common youthful appearance, looking far younger than Hoseok’s own parents. He would have otherwise questioned their ability to lead the Church, but a single look into their eyes revealed wisdom far beyond their years. It was actually a bit unnerving, almost like both men could look right at Hoseok and understand his entire life story. _Weird._

Behind Taeyang stood his pair of younger siblings, who despite living at the monastery and being of similar age to Hoseok, were not students of any of the houses. The girl appeared absolutely delighted to be included in the opening festivities while her brother looked more bored, obviously wanted to be somewhere else. Strangely enough, all three possessed similarly green-colored hair like Jiyong, albeit in different shades, making it appear as though they were all somehow related to the Archbishop. _Double weird._

As the Archbishop continued with his standard opening ceremony nonsense about _“making lifelong friends and memories”_ and _“being taught important skills under the guidance of the benevolent Church”,_ Hoseok continued to look around the room, trying to find some other form of distraction.

The Knights of the Church stood off to the side of the room with Commander Rain standing at the helm, dressed in the finest armor. The Knights were the most respected fighting force in Fodlan and were comprised of the best from across the continent. Joining the ranks of the Church was the ultimate goal for any individual who valued themselves as a strong fighter. Although it might seem a bit uncommon for a religious group to essentially have their own army, the Knights mainly focused on protecting the interests of the Church, which often translates into protecting the innocent from bandits and giving support to the most downtrodden.

The head of the Knights, Commander Rain, was a well-revered figure all across Fodlan, with stories of his bravery being commonly spread among children of all ages. In Faerghus especially, every young boy wanted to grow up to be him. Commander Rain was a kind and warm-hearted leader, but a deadly killer when needing to be. It was how he earned his esteemed position within the Knights. To say Rain was the perfect man was an understatement and Hoseok would have no doubt tried to make his own move on the man had the Commander not already been happily married with a child on the way. _I mean who wouldn’t?_

To his side stood a ( _very tall)_ familiar face. Choi Minho was the second son of the respected Choi family of Faerghus. Although Minho had been born with a crest, his father had been _more compassionate_ ( _he fought to suppress an eye roll_ ) than many other families and decided to not disinherit his firstborn son in favor of Minho. Not that Minho would have wanted to be heir anyways, he was far too rambunctious to settle for a life confined within a manor. Consistent with the Faerghus way, from the moment he could walk, Minho would pick fights with whoever was unlucky enough to cross paths with him, all in an attempt to prove his skills. Hoseok was quite glad that Minho was old enough to not have been part of his friend group growing up.

Minho quickly earned a reputation in Faerghus for being a strong fighter, heck even Hoseok respected him. This recognition for his skills encouraged him to seek out a position within the finest group of fighters on the continent. And thus, Minho came to become the youngest ever recruit to the Knights of the Church.

His recruitment, along with the fact that his older brother could never wield the weapon, led his father to gift him with his family’s hero relic, an enormous sword named Thunderbrand. With the hero’s relic, Minho was a real force to be reckoned with. It is said that his enemies wet themselves with fright whenever they spotted the tell-tale shining crimson light of his hero’s relic, for they know that they do not stand a chance against Choi Minho.

But that could all just be a rumor and Hoseok wouldn’t put it past Minho to spread that kind of rumor about himself. Maybe he should ask the ‘Master of Secrets’ himself if there was any truth to the rumor. After all, he was standing next to Minho. 

Kim Kibum hailed from the Adrestian Empire and was the youngest son of his noble family. Well aware of the fact that he could never inherit his father’s position within the Empire, Kibum had sought out another position he deemed worthy of his rank. He had after all, developed quite the attachment to the luxuries afforded to him as the son of a noble family, as seen by the rich silks and shimmering jewels adorning his body.

Despite having a strong distaste for fighting ( _more like exerting energy and getting sweaty)_ , his talent for gathering intel and gossip earned him his position within the Knights. According to the rumors, Kibum had created his own web of informants spreading all across the continent. If there was a secret to be known, it would eventually make its way down the web to Kibum.

_That reminds me not to get on his bad side_ , Hoseok thought to himself.

To his left stood one of the only females within the Knights, a woman named Krystal. Little was known about Krystal’s life before joining the Knights of the Church. Rumors had it that she was a mercenary whose skills with a bow were enough to draw the attention of the Church, and for some reason the Church was able to convince her to join the Knights. Better to make her an ally than to have her as an enemy Hoseok assumed.

Even her appearance added to her mystery. She wore dark clothes instead of armor, probably to help with her mobility on the field. Her pale face resembled a blank slate, hardly ever allowing any emotion to be displayed ( _unless it was contempt or disgust… she definitely had that in common with Yoongi)_. Krystal’s ever-present ‘ _I don’t want to be_ here’ attitude definitely differentiated her from the rest of the knights, yet it didn’t seem to alienate her from them, judging from how Minho and Kibum included her in their hidden conversations and jokes when Commander Rain wasn’t paying attention.

She was quite a mysterious figure. _But a cute one at that_. Out of habit, Hoseok couldn’t stop himself from tossing Krystal a quick wink when she realized he was unabashedly staring at her.

Krystal responded by shooting him a sharp glare that caused a cascade of shivers to run down his spine, warning him of danger. Hoseok also didn’t miss the way in which her fingers twitched, as though she were trying to stop herself from reaching for the bow attached to her back. _Maybe it would have been wise to check if Krystal was armed before he attempted to flirt. Yeah, that would have been a good idea._

Any man with an ounce of self-respect would recognize that Krystal was not a woman whose affections were to be toyed with. And while Hoseok lacked a general concern for his well-being, he was by no means enough of a fool to try to woo the knight. He decided to look away before Krystal decided to shoot an arrow through his chest in the middle of the ceremony. Hoseok wouldn’t put it past her.

He continued to let his eyes wander around the vast room as the Archbishop blabbered on. _How long was this event going to take?_ A familiar-looking bun of long navy-blue hair caught his attention.

_Yoongi!_ Hoseok tried to catch Yoongi’s eye, seeking any sort of reaction out of him but was met with a defiant ignorance.

_Guess he’s still mad from earlier today_. _I guess I deserve it_.

Yoongi had completely misunderstood his intentions earlier in the day, but Hoseok wasn’t going to try to clear his name. Yoongi had every reason to hate him, although his current hate was a bit misplaced.

Hoseok had wanted nothing more than to run to his best friend's side when his brother was killed. But his father had been adamant in never letting him leave the manor grounds. The King and the royal guard had just been killed; nobody was safe anymore. Margrave Jung couldn’t let anything happen to his heir, especially after he had just disinherited his first one.

And so Hoseok was confined to his house, watching from the inside as the rest of the world changed. Judging from Yoongi’s reaction, it looks like his father had also confiscated any letters Hoseok had attempted to send to his friend, further isolating him. _Dad of the year, am I right?_

It hurt that his childhood friend group had fallen apart ( _and quite disastrously at that, maybe imploded would be a better word?_ ), but Hoseok wasn’t going to let his hurt show. He had long since perfected his mask and instead chose to distance himself from his inner turmoil with some distractions.

Speaking of distractions, Taeyang’s younger sister ( _Suhyun was it?)_ looked like a nice one. She was very adorably hanging onto every word the Archbishop was saying, her green eyes alight with adoration and excitement. _At least one person was enthusiastic about the start of the new school year._ As if sensing his dishonest intentions, her brother ( _Chanhyuk?)_ sharply turned his gaze towards Hoseok. It wasn’t hard to read the meaning behind his cold stare.

Hoseok tossed him his signature swoon-worthy smile, baiting some sort of reaction from the brother. Overbearing brothers and fathers were a burden but by no means a deterrent. Chanhyuk looked ready to cross the room and confront Hoseok.

As if on cue, the Archbishop ended his speech, giving one more final welcome before dismissing the students to their dormitories for the night. Hoseok gave Chanhyuk a quick wave before making his way out of the grand hall with the other students.

Well, Hoseok had made it through the one day without being pulverized, which was always a plus in his book. Maybe this school year wasn’t going to be so bad after all.

* * *

Kim Jisoo was at the monastery for a reason—She had a plan. And she was going to see it through to the end.

That reason weighed heavily on her mind even now as she sat in her room at the end of the long day. Her journey to the monastery had been bearable, as had the subsequent unpacking of her luggage. The welcoming ceremony hosted by the Archbishop had been a bit of a bore, although as leader of the Black Eagles house, Jisoo ensured that her appearance did not betray her inner emotions. Back straightened, chin up, proper etiquette, and cordial expression – the behavior befitting of a proper princess. Jisoo had to keep up her appearance in front of all these strangers.

The new students interested her as much as she probably interested them. Her gleaming snow-white hair tended to encourage gawking. Anybody else would have felt intimidated at the never-ending stares, but she was far too used to it.

Upon meeting the other house leaders, Jisoo hadn’t missed the way the strange Park boy eyed her as if she were an enigma that needed solving. Jisoo had met many men like Park Jimin, such that she could divide them into two groups: those who t _hought_ they were clever and those who were _actually_ clever. Both could be dangerous under the right circumstances. It would take some time before she figured out exactly which one Park Jimin was.

The way the Faerghus prince had looked upon her was equally unusual albeit for a different reason, his eyes filled with nostalgia and quite possibly … _affection?_ Jisoo’s memories possessed no recognition of this man yet he gazed upon her as if they were old friends, trespassing over the many boundaries she had set for her safety. It had annoyed her to no end.

_Not like any of it mattered anyway._ Jisoo had bigger things on her mind.

Still, sitting in front of the gilded mirror in her room, Jisoo couldn’t help but glare at her own reflection. Her appearance was a stark reminder of why she was at the monastery in the first place. The stranger in the mirror glared right back at her, lavender eyes sharp but strong.

The loud clinking noise of glass hitting wood interrupted her thoughts.

“Oops, that was a bit louder than I intended,” Jennie muttered with a sheepish smile, “I hope I didn’t bother you. My apologies Princess.”

Jisoo cast her gaze over to her trusted retainer and friend sitting at the desk in her room who was in the midst of preparing the chessboard for a new game, placing the glossy black and white pieces in their proper position. “Not at all Jennie. I was just lost in my thoughts,” Jisoo replied back with a small smile and shrug of her shoulders, “as per usual. You know how I am.”

“Well, I am just about done setting up the board if you wish to join me.” Jisoo gave one last glance at the mirror before getting up to join Jennie at the playing table. The wooden chair creaked under her weight as she sat down, filling the room with its sound.

“Shall I play white this time?” Jisoo asked her friend without looking up, already running through various strategies in her head. She visualized piece after piece moving, white taking black, framing the Queen for the eventual win.

“If you so wish, princess.” Jennie replied while filling two saucers with piping hot tea from the teapot, the fragrant sweetness filling the room. Jisoo welcomed the scent, inhaling deeply once her cup was placed in front of her. _Ah, Rose Petal blend. My favorite._ As if Jennie didn’t already know that.

“As white, it’s your move first,” Jennie reminded her as she took a deep sip of her tea before reaching for the plate of desserts to her side. _What a sweet tooth,_ Jisoo thought with a touch of fondness.

“Yes indeed,” Jisoo quietly responded after cemented her preliminary strategy, daintily reaching for one of the white pawns, resting two fingers on the piece.

Jisoo looked up to meet the loyal eyes of her friend who was awaiting her move.

“Shall we begin?”


	2. Imperial Year 1180, Great Tree Moon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome back everyone! This chapter is a bit of a long one but that was to be expected seeing as how I want to fit a month's worth of events into a single update. Hope you enjoy!

Imperial Year 1180

Great Tree Moon

_The icy winds of hailing from Faerghus have begun to scatter, and the verdant fields once again spring to life across Fodlan_ _, heralding the start of a new year. As they celebrate the dawning year, the people pray that they may realize their full potential, just as a tiny sprout hopes to one day grow into a great tree._

A loud array of clashing voices radiated from one of the three classrooms, disturbing the otherwise peaceful setting of the monastery.

“Look, all I’m saying is that we slip some poison into the other fighters’ breakfast, wait for the symptoms to hit on the battlefield, and boom, easy victory for the Golden Deer house in the mock battle.”

That was one way to buy some silence. Everyone promptly stopped talking and stared at their house leader with varying emotions, ranging from plain confusion to horrified distress.

_Ok maybe that wasn’t the right thing to say,_ Jimin thought to himself, forcing a nervous laugh out in an attempt to calm down his peers.

“Hehe…nothing too serious of course —,” Jimin weakly began as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head, trying (and failing) to properly explain himself.

“You want to poison our classmates?” Namjoon interrupted, bespectacled face showing his obvious alarm at such an idea.

_Kim Namjoon_. Adopted son of Lord Ahn, an incredibly wealthy merchant who had recently earned a seat at the roundtable. The Lord had quickly befriended Duke Park becoming a valuable ally…for now. And while his adoptive father was filled with unbridled ambition, Namjoon seemed to differ entirely, far shyer and meeker in comparison, but also highly intelligent.

Jimin had made sure to study up on the other Lords of the Alliance before coming to the monastery. Once here, he had made it a goal to learn as much about their offspring, the next generation of roundtable nobles, as possible. All their strengths, weaknesses, positive qualities, hindrances, personalities, and personal relationships came under his immediate scrutiny.

It was Jimin’s nature after all, reducing everyone around him to the value they could bring him in the future. Any sane individual would consider this an unnecessarily cold approach, but Jimin merely called it being a master tactician. After all, he needed to know exactly what he was going to have to deal with in the coming years if he truly wanted to open up this continent for the better.

“—Just a little something that mimics a stomach bug… Hahaha… _JUST KIDDING_! It was only a joke and you guys obviously fell for it hehehe…” The statement slowly trailing off as the other students continued to persist with their disturbed looks, clearly not buying his story.

“Why exactly do you know how to make poison?” Jungkook questioned, breaking the silence, finally looking up from the book he was reading and throwing his house leader a wary glance coupled with a raised eyebrow. 

_Now he decides to pay attention,_ Jimin grumbled in his head.

_Jeon Jungkook_. Son a noble family in the far western border of the Leicester Alliance who had come into some bad times. None of the other Alliance nobles had extended an arm of help in their time of need, which Jimin understood, but still couldn’t help but feel a bit sad about. The game of politics played by the nobles in Fodlan certainly was cruel.

The difficult times had clearly had an impact on Jungkook, shaping him into a highly motivated but strongly independent individual. From the short time that he had known Jungkook, Jimin quickly came to realize how dedicated the other man was to his studies, spending all his free time on studying or training. _Far too dedicated if you asked him._

The inquisitive look emanating from the man’s bright pink eyes briefly made Jimin’s heart skip a beat. He would be lying if he didn’t admit that Jungkook’s strange appearance was very interesting. _I mean exactly how many white-haired, rose-eyed individuals did you come across in your lifetime._

Interesting, but intimidating as well, given that Jungkook had obviously perfected his glare over the years ( _probably in an attempt to frighten away any unwanted attention_ ).

Not like that would stop him. Jimin loved to unravel secrets and Jungkook was obviously entrenched in them, making for a fun game.

Jimin quickly regained his composure, straightening his back and pushing back his shoulders back before shooting his signature charming smile at the younger man. “Nice of you to finally join in on the conversation Jungkook!”

That statement earned him a large eyeroll and some quiet grumbling from said man, which Jimin promptly ignored as he plowed on, “To answer your lovely question, all I have to say is, am I not allowed to have hobbies? Some people like drawing, some like fighting, some like playing games, and I happen to like –”

“making highly dangerous concoctions in your free time? That… is highly concerning,” Jungkook finished before turning to question Taemin who was goofing around in the corner, “And you’re still friends with him why?”

Taemin seemed to ponder the question for a minute, before finally shrugging his shoulders. “Jimin’s not skilled enough to succeed in slipping me anything, Plus, it makes for good entertainment when he inevitably has to test out his concoctions on himself. Oh! I remember this one time he took one of those ‘ _stomach bug’_ concoctions but the dose was far too large, making him promptly shi—”

“Wow Taemin you’re hilarious but I think you should stop talking now haha,” Jimin loudly interrupted as he shoved his hand over Taemin’s mouth, face burning red in embarrassment. _I knew bringing Taemin along to the monastery would be a bad idea!_

“ _daseraklnfdaslknrwex_ ” Came the response from Taemin, a series of mumbling noises escaping out his still covered mouth as he tried to free himself.

“Oh, personally I think he should continue to talk,” Jungkook replied as he leaned back into his chair with his arms crossed, smirking at his house leader like he had just learned some valuable information, “Hey Taemin, let’s talks sometime later alright.”

Taemin simply responded with a strong shake of the head and a big thumbs up in agreement. A small groan of annoyance escaped Jimin’s mouth. _Urgh great. Just what I needed!_

“I for one believe that poisoning our fellow companions is an act of cowardice not befitting of nobles like us,” Baekhyun haughtily interrupted before narrowing his perfectly painted eyes down in disgust at Taemin who had finally managed to free his mouth from Jimin’s strong grasp, “Well, for those of use that are of noble blood anyways.”

_Byun Baekhyun_. Son of the Byun family, the centuries-long enemy of his family who was constantly trying to usurp power from the Parks. The current Lord Byun would likely take whatever actions he could to replace Duke Park as the leader of the Alliance. _Possibly even kill his only son and heir_ … or at least that was what the whispers in the country said.

_Be very wary of the Byun boy_ , his grandfather had warned Jimin and he totally understood why. Byun Baekhyun was far too engrossed in his status as a noble, looking down on those he thought were less than him, and constantly looking to challenge Jimin.

It was clear that his previous remark was directed at both Taemin and Namjoon, the only ones among the group not directly born from a noble bloodline. Namjoon promptly seemed to shrink in his chair after being indirectly attacked by the other student, trying his best to fade into the background. It was clear that he didn’t want to create any more conflict by responding.

Namjoon’s reaction to the backhanded insult really made Jimin want to pummel the Byun boy. Luckily Taemin seemed to have a different reaction. _Oh this should be good._

Taemin sharply rose from his chair, the sound echoing across the now quiet room as he slowly made his way in front of his opponent. He fixed Baekhyun with a cold smile before responding, words dripping with poison.

“I totally agree with you! How could a simple _commoner_ like _ME_ ever begin to comprehend what it means to be a _noble_ like _YOU_? Well then, since commoners have no obligations to be brave like you nobles, you should have no objections to me taking the _cowardly_ route of beating the heck out of you with my fists, right?”

Taemin ended his response by clasping a hand around Baekhyun’s shoulder, fingers digging into the other man’s flesh in a silent warning. Baekhyun was clearly not prepared for such an action judging by his nervous yelp in pain and sudden desire to move as far away from Taemin as possible. Not like Taemin was going to let up any time soon.

“OOOHHHH! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!” Kim Yugyeom screamed from his chair, never one to miss out on a good fight.

_Kim Yugyeom_. Youngest son of the noble family occupying the eastern-most part of the Alliance and sharing a border with his home country of Almyra. As the youngest son, Yugyeom clearly had no chance of inheriting anything from his father, encouraging him to earn his place in the world by becoming a strong fighter. Loud, boisterous, and unrelenting ( _and far too tall for someone of his age,_ Jimin mentally pouted), Yugyeom constantly sought to strengthen himself physically in order to live up to the fighting capabilities of his (many) well reputable older brothers.

Jimin tried to push back the smirk that was rising on his face at Taemin’s response. _It wouldn’t look good if he, as house leader, was seen as encouraging in-fighting amongst each other, now would it?_

With a small sigh (and one last internal chuckle), Jimin walked in between both men and tried to separate them from each other.

“Now, now guys. Let’s all calm down. Taemin let’s withdraw the fists and Baekhyun stop antagonizing others. Can we please focus on planning our strategy for the mock battle now?”

Taemin gave Baekhyun one last glare before returning to his seat next to Namjoon who gave him a sympathetic pat on the back. Yugyeom sulked at the situation being diffused, obviously wanting to see some action. Jungkook, noticing this behavior, slapped him upside the head (“ _Don’t encourage them_!”), earning him a pout from his childhood friend.

With the situation settled, Jimin walked up the chalkboard at the front of the classroom, trying to figure out the best plan forward, various strategies playing out inside his head. _Hmmmm….what to do, what to do. If we try… no, that won’t work. How about…Yes! That might work!_

Jimin threw up his arms into the air rather dramatically. “I’ve figured it out! I’ve deciphered the perfect strategy that is sure to earn us the win!”

Jungkook closed up his book at his exclamation, making sure to mark his page for later, before resting his chin upon his palm and giving Jimin his full attention. “Well then, let’s hear this _perfect strategy_ ,” Jungkook responded, making it clear that he would the judge of such a statement.

“Since we’re only allowed three fighters, I think the optimal plan would be to have one archer, one magic user, and one healer. Given this strategy, our dream team would consist of me, Jungkook, and Namjoon,” Jimin finished excitedly.

Namjoon looked shocked at hearing his name come out of his house leader’s mouth. He began to nervously wring his hands together, stuttering out a response. “Ummm, Mr. Jimin, eerr sir? I really don’t think that I should be part of the team. I mean… I’m fairly certain that somebody else is better at faith magic. Plus, I don’t even really like fighting…or conflict in general….”

The lack of confidence radiating from Namjoon was really starting to bum Jimin out. _I really need to help him become more sure of himself_ , Jimin mentally noted.

“Nonsense Namjoon! You’re the best healer out of all of the magic users here so I’m sure you’ll do a great job assisting us out there. And really, there’s no need for the formalities, so let’s stop with that right away,” Jimin cheerfully interrupted, his characteristic carefree attitude on full show. While that might have been enough to assuage others, his response seemed to have little to no effect on Namjoon.

It wasn’t like Jimin was lying. Out of the three magic users, Jungkook and Baekhyun focused on reason magic, whereas Namjoon was the only one to solely specialize in faith magic. Plus, he had made it a habit to help out in the infirmary in his free time, so he had plenty of practice with healing.

The encouraging smile on Jimin’s face increased in magnitude the longer Namjoon’s hesitant silence continued, in an attempt to try to win over the other man. Although Namjoon still looked as though his fears were not entirely placated, he glumly accepted Jimin’s plan with an imperceptible nod. _Probably just to get the spotlight off of him._

Looks like Namjoon wasn’t kidding when he said he didn’t like conflict. At least that made one person who was fine with his plan. _One down, the rest to go._

And unfortunately, Jungkook was choosing not to make this any easier, his eyes narrowing upon hearing Jimin’s plan, looking as though he were mentally tearing holes throughout every inch of the strategy. While others would balk under such scrutiny, Jimin welcomed it seeing as how it gave him an opportunity to defend his ( _well-thought out thank you very much)_ plan.

“I’m not entirely sure I understand your plan here,” Jungkook finally began as he seemingly concluded with his mental analysis, judgment dripping from his voice, “Namjoon is supposed to be our healer, which I agree with, and you’re obviously our long-distance fighter given that your weapon of choice is the bow, but did you honestly forget that I’m a magic user and _NOT_ a close-range fighter? Based on your logic, someone else should be fighting instead of me.”

Jimin expected as much pushback from someone as strategy smart as Jungkook. _But it looks like he missed the bigger picture. Maybe Jungkook isn’t as talented as he likes to think he is_ , Jimin mentally sung in his head. Not like he would ever repeat this thought in real life. Jimin actually valued his life thank you very much.

“Ah my dearest Jungkook! You should really have more faith in me,” Jimin exaggeratedly replied, trying to ruffle the other man’s hair affectionately (much to Jungkook’s displeasure). “I thought you youngsters were supposed to be more trusting,” he muttered beneath his breath. Or so he thought. 

Jungkook angrily shook Jimin’s hands off of him, shooting the older man a glare. “I’M NOT A CHILD!!! I’m a grown ADULT! One that’s even taller than YOU!” Jungkook childishly rebutted in a manner quite uncharacteristic of his usual personality. 

_Ouch._ Looks like Jimin had hit a sore point.

“HAHAHAHA! He called you a fetus! Our house leader thinks you’re a kid!!!!” Yugyeom hollered off to the side, further ruffling Jungkook’s feathers.

“KIM YUGYEOM YOU ARE LITERALLY THE SAME AGE AS ME SO STOP TALKING!”

Seeing Jungkook have an immature fit like this was quite the sight. Jimin was having a hard time suppressing his laughter, so much so that his ribs started to hurt. Not like anyone else was trying to stop themselves. Even Namjoon looked like he was attempting to stifle his giggles with his hand.

Red face, hands in fists wildly shaking around the place, and _did he just stomp his foot in anger?_ This Jungkook was in such sharp contrast to the Jungkook that walked around the monastery with his nose in a book, ignoring everyone that tried to talk to him.

Despite being incredibly talented, it was times like this that Jimin was reminded of exactly how young Jungkook really was. _He really needs to stop being so straightlaced and let loose every now and then_. And it was going to be Jimin’s mission to make that happen.

_Maybe I should interrupt before he tries to choke Yugyeom in anger_? A death in the Golden Deer in the first month of classes would surely not reflect well on him as house leader. 

“Ummm Jungkook? Do you like …maybe want to calm down now? And you know, not kill your best friend?”

Jungkook stopped yelling and removed his hands off of Yugyeom before slowly directing his cold glare to Jimin instead. A shiver ran through his body. _Okay, I’ll admit. I’m kind of scared._

“He has chosen death and I must see it through. Don’t worry. You’re next,” Jungkook stated in a monotone voice like he was simply stating a fact and not threatening his house leader. Jimin started to chuckle nervously. 

“If you calm down, I promise to explain the reasoning behind my plan to you. I’m sure a _mature, manly adult_ like yourself will no doubt understand it in no time. Did I mention you’re like extremely mature and grown-up?”

Upon hearing his words, Jungkook’s glare immediately lessened. In fact, he kind of looked proud at being referred to as mature. “Well then, proceed,” Jungkook calmly responded as he gracefully sat back in his chair, as though he had not just thrown a major fit.

_Guess I better start explaining before he gets angry again._

“Well you see, I said that the optimal plan would be to have one healer, one long-range fighter, and one short-range fighter. _I never said that would be the plan we went with_.”

Everyone looked momentarily confused as they pondered Jimin’s words. After a minute of quiet muttering, Jungkook’s eyes lit up in realization with Namjoon following shortly after. _I knew they would be the first ones to figure it out!_

“I get it!” Jungkook shouted out, happy that he had been able to figure it out. “You’re completely right! The other house leaders will likely think that is the optimal strategy as well and thus plan accordingly. So in order to win, we should not follow that plan, but instead come up with something they won’t be expecting!”

At Jungkook’s explanation, the rest of the house seemed to come to an understanding judging from the _‘Ohhs’_ and _‘I get it now’_ echoing across the classroom.

“Right on the money Jungkook!” Jimin cheerfully responded with a giant thumbs up in the younger man’s directly, earning him a pleased smile in return, one that momentarily stunned Jimin.

_Jungkook actually looks quite adorable when he shows any emotion beyond annoyance. Wait, focus on the topic at hand Jimin_. He quickly shook his head, pushing those thoughts deep down into the recesses of his mind. 

“So that’s where Jungkook comes into the equation right? The other houses will probably be expecting us to have a close-range fighter, not another long-distance fighter like Jungkook. This confusion will likely force them to change strategies right at the start of the mock battle, potentially causing some trouble if they don’t know how to quickly adapt,” Namjoon enthusiastically added, before promptly shrinking at the sudden attention his clarification drew.

“Gold star for you too Namjoon!” Jimin said, clapping a hand on the shy man’s back in encouragement. Namjoon gave him a small smile in return, happy at getting something right for once.

From his spot in the room, Taemin raised his hand, garnering Jimin’s attention. “But what do plan on doing when their close-range fighters manage to get close enough to you guys. They would have the obvious advantage because you guys aren’t skilled in close combat. In that case, you’ll lose the advantage, and the team will quite likely fall apart.”

Leave it to a strong fighter like Taemin to point out the potential weaknesses in the strategy. Luckily, Jimin had expected such intense scrutiny and made extra sure that the plan had none.

“Yugyeom told me a few days ago that he’s taught Jungkook close-range fighting in the past (“ _You’ve got that right_!” Yugyeom shouted), so if they manage to break through, Jungkook can take care of them. Plus, they won’t be expecting him to fight back like that, creating chaos in their strategy,” Jimin replied with ease, looking over at Jungkook to see if he disagreed.

Jungkook pursed his lips in thought. “I do know basic axe and sword techniques, but I’m not entirely sure I can stand up to someone who’s skilled in those areas,” came his eventual response.

Jimin had expected as much, which he relayed to the other man. “I know you aren’t entirely comfortable with close-range fighting, but we’ve still got plenty of time before the mock battle. Me and the other guys will help you out where we can.”

Jungkook still didn’t look entirely convinced, forcing Jimin to continue. “Look Jungkook. Everyone says you’re like a child prodigy and an extremely fast learner. I mean exactly how long did it take you to learn your last spell? Three days? It takes other people weeks to master it, so I know for sure that you’re capable of mastering close-range fighting before the mock battle!”

_Come one Jungkook,_ Jimin mentally pleaded, hoping his flattery had been enough to sway him. 

The younger man remained deep in thought, likely mentally running through the logistics of the strategy. Finally, Jungkook looked as though he had been won over, his face eventually brightening up. With a small sigh and a quick smile, he gave Jimin his okay for the plan. Taemin looked pleased that his friend managed to fix the weakness he had seen in the plan and also gave him a nod of support.

_Two more down,_ Jimin mentally cheered.

“I’m all for helping out Jungkook, but that’s going to be a bit difficult when Yoongi practically lives in the training grounds. If he sees Jungkook practicing he’ll snitch to the other Blue Lions and our element of surprise will be ruined,’ Yugyeom interjected. _Good point_.

“We’ll just have to make sure that Jungkook practices elsewhere. Somewhere nobody else will see him,” Taemin responded. _Better point_.

Jimin made sure to note that in his head as everybody nodded in agreement with Taemin’s statement.

Jimin confidently looked around the room trying to gauge their final level of support for the strategy. “Alright! Everyone good with the plan?”

Namjoon gave him a nervous nod of the head, Taemin slapped him on the back in support (quite forcefully actually. _Oww._ ), Yugyeom briefly complained about not being able to partake in a good fight but voiced support for the plan, and Baekhyun…

Well Baekhyun, who had been oddly quiet throughout the whole exchange, stuck his nose in the air before responding, purposely not looking Jimin in the eyes. “I am quite displeased that someone of my caliber and status was not chosen to serve as the representative of our class. However… as long as the plan leads to a victory, my complaints will be quelled. Plus, if we don’t win, it will be entirely because of _YOUR_ plan.”

That was probably the closest Jimin would get to a verbal show of support. _Great, I’ll take it._

As he looked around the room, Jimin couldn’t help but feel excited. They had a good plan and good fighters. The mock battle should be a piece of cake.

“WHOOO!!! LET’S GET IT!! GOLDEN DEER GROUP HUG!!!” Yugyeom yelled out as he latched his arms around all his classmates, locking them in a tight hug (along with Taemin’s eager help because of course he would). Namjoon squeaked in shock while Jungkook and Baekhyun grumbled at being manhandled. Jimin simply let himself succumb to such actions with a grin on his face.

Things were finally starting to come together.

* * *

Things were not coming together for the Blue Lions and it showed.

Much like the Golden Deer, the Blue Lion’s classroom was also filled with loads of shouting. Unlike the Golden Deer, their shouting was far more incensed and disgruntled in comparison.

The sun had barely even begun to shine its rays across the sky, yet Seokjin was already starting to feel a migraine coming. It didn’t help that the ghosts in his head had kept him up late last night. Seokjin slowly massaged his temples with a quiet groan, attempting to preemptively calm the burgeoning pain.

Yoongi aggressively ( _and quite rudely if he was being honest_ ) shut down every single one of his plans as soon as he opened his mouth. Taehyung was choosing to ignore the constant shouting by doodling in his notebook. Hoseok was busy trying to converse ( _more like flirt_ ) with Rosé, the other member of the Blue Lions house. Rosé for her part at least tried to pay attention, rolling her eyes in response to Hoseok’s blatant efforts at flattery.

The frustration was building in him, gradually threatening to spill over.

_Not that it ever would_. Seokjin had long since mastered the calm and composed attitude befitting of his role as the prince of Faerghus. It wouldn’t do any good for his classmates to the fractures weaving inside his body.

Seokjin quickly pinched the bridge of his nose. Taking one… two… three deep breaths in order to calm his mind. “Can I please gather your attention once more,” Seokjin began, trying to steer the conversation back onto the right topic.

No response came. Seokjin tried again, lighting tapping the wooden desk in front of him in an effort to attract their attention. “Um hey everybody? Excuse… EXCUSE ME! …Oh no!”

Seokjin’s crest had accidentally activated at the end of his statement, illuminating the room with its bright glow, and causing an unexpected surge of strength to force his fist through the wooden desk, utterly decimated the piece of furniture in front of him and rendering it useless. He hopelessly tried to put the desk back together but to no success, the various pieces of wood loudly clattering to the ground.

The abnormal strength associated with his crest truly could be quite burdensome at times. _Well at least I finally have everyone’s focus._

He slowly looked up to meet the faces of his fellow classmates, all awestruck at his sudden display of power. Well, all except one.

“Way to go you Beast. Have you honestly not learned how to control yourself by now?” Yoongi sharply broke through the silence with a sneer.

Seokjin let out a small sigh at his response. When not going out of his way to actively avoid Seokjin, Yoongi had been nothing but hostile towards him since the start of the school year. While he no doubt deserved such behavior, Seokjin couldn’t help but think back to how close they used to be back when they were both children.

How Yoongi always trailed after him and looked up to him, and even how he would run off crying to Hoseok when Seokjin didn’t feel like training with him.

It seems like the Tragedy had killed their friendship and innocence along with their families.

“Yoongs man, like chill out,” Hoseok lazily reprimanded his friend before fixing Seokjin with a suggestive look that made him feel highly uncomfortable, “You know, sometimes I forget just how _strong_ you are. I wonder what _else_ you could do with that strength, Your Highness.”

Seokjin for his part felt entirely confused at Hoseok’s statement. “I’m not entirely sure what you mean. I guess my crest comes in handy when I’m fighting but really it’s more of a burden if anything,” Seokjin rambled, completely ignoring Hoseok’s groan of exasperation at his complete misunderstanding of the question. Hoseok couldn’t help but bang his head against his desk.

“Ummm… pardon the interruption, but you wanted our attention, Your Highness,” Taehyung interrupted, raising his pencil in the air and effectively bringing Seokjin’s attention back to the topic of interest.

“Yes, thank you Taehyung,” Seokjin responded with a nod in the other man’s direction, who just responded with a quick thumbs-up as he tucked his pencil behind his ear.

“We really must decide on a strategy for the mock battle. I was thinking—”

“No,” Yoongi harshly interrupted without even bothering to look up from the sword he was polishing, not letting Seokjin finish his thought. Seokjin tried again, irritation slipping into his usually steady voice.

“But Yoongi—”

“No,” Yoongi once again sharply cut in, eliciting groans from everyone else. “I’m not following any of your plans. You’ll only lead us to ruin.”

Seokjin clenched his fists and had to bite his tongue to prevent him from saying something he would regret later. Yoongi was really testing his patience today. _Fine! If you think so lowly of my plans why don’t you come up with your own!_

Instead of voicing his inner thoughts and most certainly getting skewered by Yoongi in response, Seokjin settled for wordlessly gesturing towards the rest of his classmates, encouraging anybody else with a plan to step up. Thankfully, Hoseok decided to speak up, trying his best to diffuse the tension in the room.

“If none of you lovely people are going to speak, I guess I’ll take one for the team and put forward a strategy,” Hoseok quipped, his signature carefree attitude working to immediately alleviate the apprehensive air floating around the classroom.

When nobody interrupted him, Hoseok continued, “Given the nature of the mock battle, our best strategy would be to have a well-rounded team consisting of one long-range fighter, one short-range fighter, and one healer. We can wear the other houses down with our long-range fighter, use our short-range fighter to deal with anyone that gets too close, and protect our own men with a healer. With this team, we should be able to successfully deal with any situation that arises on the field.”

_Not a bad strategy. I guess Hoseok has a better mind than he lets on. Now if only he could just lay off with the constant philandering_ , Seokjin thought.

Everyone else began to mutter in agreeance with the plan and Yoongi didn’t immediately shut down the idea which must have been a good sign. _Right?_

Hoseok held up his arms in front of him with a crooked grin upon his face, “I know, I know. I’m a bit of a genius.”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far,” Rosé responded with a friendly laugh, trying to deflate his ego and earning a scoff ( _laugh?)_ of agreement from Yoongi. Hoseok responded by blowing them both a kiss, which led to a prompt eyeroll from both involved parties, Yoongi’s being far more annoyed in nature. Seokjin swore he even saw Yoongi’s hands slightly flex, like he was considering reaching for his sword before deciding against it. _Looks like Hoseok gets to live to see another day_.

“Since you guys _obviously_ _LOVE_ my plan, I guess I could help with assigning roles. Our long-range fighter should be Taehyung given his natural strengths with a bow,” Hoseok said as he walked around the room to give Taehyung, who had promptly flushed at the sudden bout of praise, a gentle pat on the head, before making his way over to Rosé’s desk.

“The position of healer clearly belongs to our resident famous opera house singer. The one…the only…the lovely Rosé,” Hoseok continued, grabbing her arm and flirtatiously planting a kiss on her hand, earning him a small giggle from the girl before she playfully pushed him away.

“I thought I told you all to be less formal with me,” she jokingly reprimanded Hoseok with fake glare, “I’m only Rosé when I’m on stage back home in Faerghus, but while I’m here at the monastery, I would love it if you guys just called me Rosie.”

Seokjin made sure to mentally jot down the reminder for the future. _If I’m asking them to treat me casually and instead of like a prince then it is only fair for me to give them the same respect._

“Of course. Whatever makes you feel more comfortable,” Seokjin courteously voiced his thoughts like the good house leader that he was. Rosé… _no…_ Rosie gave him an appreciative nod of the head in response.

“If you’re done flirting, Your Highness—” “—WHAT! I wasn’t _FLIRTING!_ That was not my intention at all. Please Rosie, do not misconstrue my words—”

“—Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say. I just wanted to finish with assigning the roles,” Hoseok said, interrupting the very flustered Seokjin before he could finish trying to correct the situation, “What I was going to say is that our short-range fighter should be—”

“Me. I’m fighting,” Yoongi curtly interrupted, drawing everyone’s attention to him. Not like he cared.

Hoseok eyed his friend ( _former?_ Seokjin wasn’t entirely sure of where they stood _)_ with weariness, trying not to provoke his anger. _Wise choice_.

“Umm Yoongi, didn’t you hear my plan? I said only one close-range fighter,” Hoseok nervously laughed. Yoongi only spared him a short glance before returned back to polishing his sword.

“Yes. Me.” Yoongi’s response made it clear the issue wasn’t up for discussion. The tension in the room seemed to grow tenfold, but Seokjin knew that interrupting would only increase Yoongi’s anger. _At least Hoseok’s brave enough to say something._

Hoseok anxiously rubbed the back of his head before speaking, “I was kind of referring to Seokjin with his lance there. I mean, it would be quite weird if our house leader didn’t participate in the mock battle. _Right?”_

The mere mention of Seokjin’s name had caused Yoongi to tighten his grip on his sword. He slowly looked up to meet Hoseok’s eyes with the most menacing look on his face.

_Maybe I should really consider instituting a weapon ban inside the classroom_ , Seokjin thought (a bit too late really).

“I agree with that sentiment. Not having Seokjin fight would look bad on us as a house,” Taehyung began in an earnest attempt to save Hoseok’s life, but quickly revered positions once Yoongi fixed his glare onto him, “Or not? I mean what do I know? Haha…please help me.”

Taehyung sunk deeper into his chair with every word that he managed to all but squeak out. Once Taehyung was out of sight, Yoongi’s harsh look relented.

“I want to fight,” he stated to no one in particular. Seokjin could see that Hoseok’s eyes closed in frustration. _Even Hoseok, who best knew how to deal with Yoongi, was close to running out of patience._

“But that will mess up the pla—” Hoseok began, still trying to get Yoongi to see his side.

“I want to fight.”

Rosie was the only one brave enough to groan in exasperation, although it was clear that everyone else felt the same. _Yoongi’s stubborn nature was really something to behold. Had he always been like this?_

“FINE! Fight then! Make up your own plan since you dislike mine so much!” Hoseok shouted, frustration finally reaching a tipping point. He grumpily sat back down in his chair muttering some harsh insults under his breath, disgruntled at Yoongi’s actions.

“Fine then, I will,” Yoongi began, clearly not acknowledging or caring about everyone’s agitation, “First. I’m fighting. Second. Taehyung can also fight since we do need a long-distance fighter. Last. I guess the Beast can fight too since you guys clearly want him too.”

The Beast being him of course. Seokjin’s eyebrow quirked in irritation at being addressed as such, but he wasn’t about to feed into Yoongi’s clear baiting. _Two-close range fighters? I’m not entirely sure that’s a good play._

Luckily, Hoseok seemed to have the same thoughts. “Two-close range fighters? That doesn’t seem like a good idea. What about our healer? We’ll be at a severe disadvantage without one.”

Taehyung and Rosie muttered their agreement, but Yoongi paid them no attention.

“Having two close-range fighters will provide us with more physical strength, allowing us to cut through our enemies with ease. We don’t need a healer. They’ll just waste what could be a valuable fighting position.”

_Ouch. Well, Yoongi never was once to mince his words_.

“Geez, thanks Yoongi,” Rosie sarcastically responded as she leaned back into her chair with her arms crossed, obviously not thrilled at having been indirectly insulted.

Yoongi gave her a look that clearly read _‘well it’s the truth’_. Rosie responded by shooting him a _very obscene_ hand gesture, one that Seokjin would usually not allow in the classroom setting, yet under this circumstance, he really couldn’t blame her.

“There’s the plan. Everyone good with it—” Yoongi bluntly asked, before hurriedly continuing so as to not let anyone voice any objections, “—Great. See you at the end of the month.” With that, Yoongi grabbed his sword and other materials before heading out of the door. _Most likely heading for the training grounds_.

The rest of the Blue Lions were left staring at his retreating form in shock. Taehyung was the first to break the stunned silence.

“You know, he really starts to grow on you after some time,” Taehyung said, mock amusement filling his voice.

That statement was enough to break the entire room in laughter, successfully dissolving the tension. _Bless Taehyung_ , Seokjin remarked to himself.

“He does know that we still have class every day until the mock battle. Right?” Rosie questioned through her giggles.

Despite the sudden light atmosphere, Seokjin couldn’t help but feel the immense need to apologize for Yoongi’s behavior, which he promptly did.

Seokjin bowed deeply before the rest of the class, “I really wish to apologize on behalf of Yoongi. As your house leader, I should have made more of an attempt to put a stop to such behavior in the beginning. Please forgive me.”

Hoseok only rolled his eyes before clasping a strong hand on his shoulder and shrugging. “S’okay. I mean, we both know how Yoongi is. There’s really no stopping him once he sets his mind on something. Plus we know he isn’t likely to miss out on a good fight,” Hoseok turned to address Taehyung and Rosie, “I know the guy can be a bit prickly, but I swear on the inside he’s really a big ole softy.”

Seokjin eyed Hoseok strangely as if to say ‘ _Are we really talking about the same guy here’._

“Okay maybe that’s not entirely true. But really, try to give him a chance,” Hoseok eventually relented under Seokjin’s look. Taehyung and Rosie nodded in understanding before gathering up their things, saying their goodbyes, and heading out of the classroom, joining the other students in their free period.

“What do you say you and me head to town to look for some cute dates. It’ll be just like old times,” Hoseok turned to address his friend with a mischievous smirk now that they were alone in the classroom.

_Urgh._ Seokjin physically could not stop himself from facepalming. Realizing that might not have been the most dignified action, he brushed the blonde bangs away from his forehead, trying to make himself presentable again.

“Pray tell Hoseok, exactly what ‘ _old times’_ are you referring to? Back when we were literal children? Hmm? Not that it matters. I’ve got stable duty in a bit and I seem to recall that you were scheduled for kitchen duty today.”

“SHOOT! You’re right,” Hoseok yelled as he hurriedly grabbed his things and headed out the door, realization evident on his face. Hoseok stuck his head inside the doorframe, uttered, “Don’t worry Your Highness, we’ll schedule the fun shenanigans for later!” with a wink, before his body completely vanished from sight.

Now that the classroom was empty, Seokjin wasted no time in letting out an exasperated groan at his friend's antics. The return of the throbbing in his temples made him realize that _yup, there’s the migraine I was expecting_.

If there was anything Seokjin had learned today, it was that this was going to be one long school year.

* * *

It was times like this, basking in the warmth of the sun’s rays, surrounded by magnificent creatures, without outside disturbance, that Namjoon felt most as peace.

_Well, I could do without the smell of excrement. But that’s just a minor complaint._

Still, Namjoon felt comfortable enough to let a pleased sigh escape out of his mouth. The other students always endlessly complained about stable duty, citing the excessive work and awful smell, and as such, always looked for a way to skip out on their chores.

Namjoon couldn’t help but entirely disagree with that mindset. There was something relaxing about getting to take care of the various horses, pegasi, and wyverns. Feeding them, brushing out their manes, sneaking them some snacks every now and then, and watching them grow up. He always made sure to take up stable duty whenever he had the chance.

_Plus, it gives me a chance to be alone for a change._

While Namjoon had slowly gotten used to his classmates, sometimes spending too much time with them could be quite taxing, draining his body of all its energy. He really just needed some time alone, with only his thoughts for company.

And the animals of course. They really made some great listeners.

Which is why Namjoon wasted no time in relaying the day’s events to the horse in front of him as he brushed through her mane.

“ _And then_ Jimin decided to make me part of the mock battle team. _ME!_ Of all people! I really don’t know what he’s thinking,” Namjoon grumbled in exasperation.

The horse, Lady, fixed him with a questioning glance as she lazily chewed on a piece of hay. _‘What’s wrong with that?’_ Lady seemed to be telling him with her amber eyes.

Namjoon let out an exhale in despair as he continued stroking the comb through her golden hair, trying to think of how to put his feelings into words. _What exactly was the right way to word years of self-pity to a horse?_

“I don’t know Lady. I just have a tendency to always mess things up…sometimes in really horrible ways. I know that I’ll somehow screw up the mock battle and make us lose. It’s part of my curse…I guess I’m destined to always be completely useless,” Namjoon tiredly explained in a defeated manner.

Of course he had to be cursed. It was the only logical conclusion he has reached as someone with a background in experimental research. _I mean, what other reason could there be to explain my statistically improbable relationship with bad luck??!!!_

“I don’t think you’re completely useless. Not from what I can see anyways.”

Unless horses could start talking, that statement certainly didn’t come from Lady.

The surprise interruption made Namjoon shriek in surprise, causing the comb in his hand to fall to the ground with a loud _CLUNK_ and making Lady neigh in annoyance. She weakly nudged Namjoon with her head in an attempt to reprimand him for the sudden loud noise right by her ears. 

Namjoon’s disastrous reaction caused the intruding figure to move closer to him in worry, moving his body out of the shadows into the light, illuminating the worried look on his face.

“OH MY! _Please_ forgive me! I truly did not mean to startle you…or eavesdrop on your conversation…that was not my intention at all. I just heard some voices coming from inside the stable and got a bit curious… again, I must sincerely apologize!”

The figure dipping down into an apologetic bow in front of Namjoon looked normal enough. And the uniform dressing his body made it clear he was just another student, probably just showing up for stable duty.

_Maybe I should stop screaming now? Yeah, that would be good._

Namjoon hastily closed his mouth shut, clearing his throat as if to pretend the last five minutes had not happened.

The man got up from his bow and immediately fixed Namjoon with a shy smile. He was taller than Namjoon had initially assumed, with a thin but toned build, neatly styled blond hair that framed his brilliant caramel eyes in just the right way, and obvious mannerisms that indicated he had grown up in the nobility.

“What I meant to say before I startled you is that I do not think you are completely useless given all the hard work you have done before I could even join you. I mean, the animals all look properly feed and their water pails have even been refilled! You’ve completed almost all of the hard work,” the man exclaimed in surprise while Namjoon listened on in silence, trying not to meet his eyes in embarrassment.

_Sorry sir, but the first part of that statement falls into the last five minutes that I have chosen to pretend didn’t happen._

Namjoon didn’t voice out these thoughts. Instead, he decided to settle for the ever eloquent, “What?”

_Nailed it._

The stranger fixed him with a weird look. “Before I interrupted, you were telling the horse that you thought you were useless. I just wanted to add my own thought from what I saw.”

Oh great. The stranger had heard him talking to Lady. Another reason to think he was absolutely crazy.

_What a minute. If he caught that last part, exactly how much did he hear? What if he heard about my curse? AHHHHH!_

This thought he did voice out. “Exactly what did you hear me say? Just asking,” Namjoon nervously chuckled out, trying to determine whether or not he had to hide out in his room for the rest of the semester.

The man flushed at the reminder of his eavesdropping, causing him to rub the back of his neck sheepishly, “Truthfully? Just that last bit,” he revealed before clutching his fist against his chest and bowing again under Namjoon’s questioning look, “I swear on my honor.”

_Looks like I’m in the clear. Whew._

Namjoon meekly nodded back in response before returning to his task of grooming the horses, sans the conversation of course, trying his best to hide behind the tall creatures because logically speaking, it was virtually impossible for Namjoon to embarrass himself again if he didn’t open up his mouth to speak.

Unfortunately, the stranger had no inclination of leaving him alone, judging from how he was currently maneuvering around the stables, dodging bales of hay and stray piles of excrement, trying to catch Namjoon’s attention again. Once in front of his target, the man stretched out a hand in introduction, a warm smile plastered upon his face. 

“I fear I have been awfully rude to you given that I haven’t even bothered to introduce myself or ask for your name. I’m Kim Seokjin. Pleased to make your acquaintance.”

_Seokjin? Like… Prince Kim Seokjin of Faerghus? The house leader of the Blue Lions?_

That would surely help explain the silken, azure cloak hanging off his shoulders…and the minuscule, golden lion decoration pinned to the front of his uniform mirroring the one his own house leader Jimin wore (his being a deer of course). Did he really not notice all of that before?

_Way to be perceptive Namjoon. Maybe if you weren’t so focused on his face…_

Namjoon wiped his spare hand on his uniform, giving it a quick cleaning before interlacing it with Seokjin’s.

“Kim Namjoon. My adoptive father is Lord Ahn of the Leicester Alliance.” He had never really understood why nobles were so concerned with their positions and titles, constantly bringing it up every time they introduced themselves. But Namjoon could practically hear his father in his ear, eagerly stressing the importance of making “connections”, and what better connection was there than a prince? Obeying his father’s wishes was really the least he could do.

Seokjin’s face lit up at his introduction, earnestly shaking Namjoon’s hand, pleased at finally having a name to put to the face, “Pleased to meet your acquaintance! I must again apologize for showing up late. I thought it would be best to change into a spare set of clothes before reporting for duty, but I fear my tardiness has forced all the work onto you. Please feel free to tell me any way in which I can assist you!”

At Seokjin’s words, Namjoon quickly glanced over at the pristine uniform adorning his body. Perfectly pleated bottoms, nicely tucked-in shirt, expensive-looking gloves, not a speck of dust in sight. If this is a spare set of clothes, then what was Namjoon wearing? A garbage bag?

Namjoon couldn’t help but feel a bit grumpy at how some people could just wake up looking great, gnawing at the inside of his mouth to stop a pout from forming on his lips. He directed his face to the ground before answering, trying not to embarrass himself in front of Seokjin again. 

“…No worries. Ummmm… you can help me with the grooming… if you want to of course… I don’t want you to think I’m ordering you around…NOT that I could order a prince to do something… oh dear, what am I saying,” Namjoon quietly replied, words nervously trailing off at the end as he directed that bit at himself. Social interactions really weren’t his thing.

Luckily for him, Seokjin seemed to catch on to his limited capabilities for human interaction, grabbing a comb from the bin of supplies and planting himself on the bench next to Namjoon, quietly stroking through the mane of a chocolate brown steed.

Time seemed to pass quickly in the calm atmosphere, with Seokjin filling in the silence every now and then with a simple question directed to Namjoon, which he would respond to with a perfectly succinct answer. 

It was completely strange. Normally Namjoon would feel awkward around a stranger like Seokjin, but for some reason, he felt… _comfortable._ Seokjin respected his boundaries, never pushing Namjoon beyond his limits. It was a breath of fresh air. And Namjoon kind of liked it.

“You know, I always wanted to be a pegasus rider,” Seokjin interrupted with a look of fondness plastered on his face as they finally moved on to the stables housing the pegasi, looking like he was lost in his memories.

The sudden revelation caused Namjoon to let out a very unnoble-like snort, promptly causing him to bring his hand to his mouth in order to stifle the stream of chuckles threatening to slip out.

Seokjin just turned to him with a mock-offended look in his eyes, before also breaking out in laughter, “I’m serious! I would even try to sneak into the stables when I was younger and try to pet them.”

_Oh dear, that couldn’t have possibly ended well_. Knowing what he did about pegasi, Namjoon couldn’t help but wonder how Seokjin had managed to survive the encounter.

“Surely you knew that pegasi don’t like men. Someone must have told you that, right? The stable managers would have been doing you a real disservice if you were never advised,” Namjoon stated, eyes sparkling with mirth at the mere thought of trying to imagine what must have happened to young Seokjin on these little adventures to the stables.

A brilliant crimson blush appeared on Seokjin’s face as he quickly avoided Namjoon’s eyes. He cleared his throat in embarrassment at his past actions, “I’ll have you know that I knew exactly what I was getting into. My hair just happened to be a bit on the longer side when I was younger, enough to momentarily confuse the pegasus. I was able to lay my hand on its mane for a brief second before… well, let’s just say before I learned my lesson. I made sure to stay away from that section of the stables from that point on.”

This time, Namjoon didn’t bother with trying to hide his amusement, letting out a stream of laughter that only encouraged Seokjin to join in. The pegasi in stables just fixed the pair of them with disinterested looks that seemed to say ‘ _Urgh. Men.’_.

Keeping Seokjin’s story in mind, they both rapidly refilled the food and water bins in this stable before they could earn the ire of the pegasi.

“Alas, my dream can never come true. I guess I’m stuck with horses,” Seokjin playfully lamented with an overly dramatic sigh once they had moved on the next stable.

Namjoon just rolled his eyes at the scene before pointing to the creatures in front of them, “Not necessarily. There’s always wyverns.”

Seokjin fixed the large creatures with an apprehensive look, appearing far more concerned than when they were in the presence of the pegasi. “I must confess, wyverns have always been a bit too intimidating for my liking. We don’t really have them over in the Kingdom given that we’re cavalrymen at heart, so I’m not too familiar with them. Magnificent really…but not for me. I’ll just stick to my horse instead.”

As if on cue, a large wyvern decorated with an array of red scales and giant pointed horns, directed is unflinching golden eyes over to Seokjin, a threatening low-pitched growl emanating from its throat. Seokjin let out a quiet yelp at the sudden attention. Namjoon quickly attempted to calm the situation by refilling the wyvern’s bin with food.

_Let me put some extra. Just in case._

With its bin sufficiently overfilled, the growling subsided and was instead replaced with a silent purr. Namjoon leaned over to pet his head, earning him another round of purrs. _Good boy! You were just hungry, weren’t you?_

All the while this was going on, Seokjin was watching with eyes wide in shock. Although Namjoon tended to struggle with humans, it was the complete opposite with animals. His skills must have come as a real shock.

Namjoon merely shrugged in response, “What?”

“You sir are an enigma,” Seokjin stated in awe, which only succeeded in causing Namjoon to flush at the sudden praise.

Namjoon looked away from Seokjin gaze as he felt his face burning up. _Breathe Namjoon!_

“Errrr…,” Namjoon began trying to shift the attention away from himself, “there’s something I want to show. Who knows? It must just change your mind.”

With that vague remark, Namjoon shuffled deeper into the stables, looking for something in particular. Seokjin was left to follow with an inquisitive look upon his face, trying to decipher what the other man was talking about.

_Let’s see, where exactly are you,_ Namjoon thought to himself as his eyes raked over the various occupants of the stable. _Too big… too red… too old… Aha!_

Namjoon suddenly leaned over into what seemed to be an empty stall. He could hear the crunch of boots stepping on stray pieces of hay, signaling that Seokjin was shuffling behind him, trying to get a better look at what had captured his attention.

In the stall was a pale white, baby wyvern who looked like he had just woken up from his nap. The wyvern let out a small yawn, his small wings, which couldn’t have been bigger than Namjoon’s forearm, extending outwards from his chest. Upon noticing Namjoon, the wyvern began to excitedly let out a stream of high-pitched chirps, bouncing up and down in his stall.

_Aww, he recognized me. How cute!_

With a quick swoop of the arms, Namjoon scooped up the wyvern into his arms, letting the creature nuzzle up against his chest. He walked over to Seokjin, who looked to be completely entranced with the animal, eyes filled with visible fascination.

“Seokjin, meet little Chimmy!”

Technically, Chimmy was Jimin’s wyvern. Jimin had attempted to keep little Chimmy hidden in his room at the start of the year but was quickly caught when those in the dormitories had heard strange growls coming from his room during the day. _Apparently_ , it was against school rules to house wyverns in the student dorms ( _wow, who would have thought? Clearly not Jimin)_ causing Chimmy to be moved to the stables for the time being.

Seokjin still hadn’t moved from his spot, prompting Namjoon to make his way over to the other man. Chimmy fixed Seokjin with an intrigued look, cocking his head to the side at the sudden appearance of a stranger. _Cuteness overload_.

Sensing Seokjin’s continuing hesitation, Namjoon carefully edged his hand closer to Seokjin’s, fingers slightly hovering over the other man’s wrist. He looked into Seokjin’s face, sending him a silent plea asking for permission to continue, to which Seokjin gave him a tentative nod in response. With his consent, Namjoon grabbed onto Seokjin’s hand, feeling the warmth of his pulse under his fingers, before directing Seokjin’s fingers to Chimmy’s pale head.

The small wyvern gave Seokjin’s fingers a quick whiff, trying to familiarize himself with the new scent. Namjoon could hear Seokjin take in a deep, shaky breath of air, probably due to his fear of wyverns. After what seemed like an eternity, Chimmy finally leaned his head into Seokjin’s fingers, encouraging the taller man to pet his head with a soft hum radiating from his chest.

Seokjin looked up at Namjoon in delighted shock, pleased at having won Chimmy’s favor. Namjoon just responded by giving him a small round of applause with a soft smile on his face, encouraging Seokjin to continue with his pampering of the young wyvern.

Seeing Seokjin overcome his fear of wyverns filled Namjoon with a sudden warmth. _I’m just glad I could help him see wyverns in a different light_.

“Chimmy belongs to my house leader,” Namjoon softly began to explain as he watched the adorable scene before him, “Once Jimin found out I had a soft spot for animals, he asked if I wouldn’t mind looking over little Chimmy whenever I had time.”

Seokjin’s eyes sparkled with mirth as he gave a quiet hum in acknowledgment of Namjoon’s statement, thoroughly entertained with the small creature cuddling in his chest. Chimmy had begun to nip at his fingers like he would with his stuffed animals.

_Jimin and I really need to get him out of that habit. It’s cute and harmless now, but once those teeth come in all the way… YIKES. I quite prefer having all ten fingers thank you very much._

Seokjin politely chuckled at the creature's attempts to gnaw at his fingers while Namjoon reprimanded the wyvern with a stern ‘ _Chimmy no biting fingers_!’.

“I must say, I think I have been completely won over by this little one,” Seokjin stated with a fond smile as Namjoon mentally congratulated himself.

_YES! Score one for Namjoon!_

Seokjin watched in amusement as Namjoon no doubt gave himself a mental pat on the back, before continuing on, “Chimmy is absolutely tiny, Are all young wyverns typically this small?”

Namjoon shook his head with a small frown, “Not usually. According to Jimin, Chimmy was the runt of the litter, which in combination with his strange coloring caused his siblings and even his mother to alienate him, which is honestly quite sad. Luckily Jimin was there to give him company.”

Namjoon couldn’t help but feel a sense of gratitude towards his house leader for his actions. _I guess beneath his whole confident persona, Jimin is really just a big ole softy at heart._

Seokjin seemed to be quietly reflecting on that piece of information, his finger on Chimmy’s head gradually slowing in its strokes, as the smile on his face began to slip down a few notches, caramel eyes slightly darkening.

“It must have been difficult for him. Being left completely alone at that young age,” he finally whispered.

At once, Seokjin’s sudden change in attitude made sense to him. Namjoon knew all about the Tragedy, about how Seokjin had lost his entire family and household in a matter of minutes. You would have to be a complete fool to not know. The horrible news had spread across the entire continent in record time, reaching even his remote little village off in the corner of Alliance territory.

Hearing about the Tragedy was one thing, but talking to someone who had lived it? That was an entirely new experience, one that couldn’t help but pull at Namjoon’s heart.

“I’m sorry about everything that’s happened to you,” Namjoon suddenly blurted out, causing Seokjin to eye him in surprise, “I mean…you must probably get that a lot… but I sincerely mean it. You didn’t deserve any of that. Truly.”

Namjoon regretted his sudden spiel as soon as it left his mouth, especially as Seokjin hesitated in responding, causing him to nervously wring his hands together.

_Oh yeah, let me just bring up what must no doubt be a source of trauma for him. GREAT IDEA NAMJOON!_

Seokjin intently stared at Chimmy rather than look at Namjoon. He let out a barely audible sigh before speaking up.

_Oh boy, here he goes. Probably getting ready to yell at me._

Much to his surprise, that didn’t happen. Instead, Seokjin looked up to meet Namjoon’s anxious stare with weary, but amiable eyes. “Thank you, Namjoon. I appreciate your kind words although I do not think I entirely deserve them.,” Seokjin finally said, surprising Namjoon, “I’m also sorry about your parents.”

That last bit caught definitely Namjoon off guard, “My parents?”

Seokjin suddenly looked worried at his remark, eyebrows scrunched in concern, afraid he had incorrectly assumed. “OH… earlier you mentioned an adoptive father… and I just kind of assumed…I didn’t mean to overstep any boundaries… I just…,” the man tried to nervously stutter out.

Namjoon didn’t talk about his parents often. In fact, he tended to avoid that topic entirely. It was difficult to think of even after all these years. Still, the fact that Seokjin had shown concern was touching, enough to make another round of blush appear on his face.

_Why is it that I’m always blushing around Seokjin?_

Namjoon decided to take pity on the still stuttering Seokjin, gently adding his own hand on Chimmy’s head, joining Seokjin’s and effectively getting him to stop mumbling, “No, it’s fine. I was just…caught off guard. You’re one of the only people to ever say that to me. Thank you.”

Namjoon fixed Seokjin with a look of appreciation, silver eyes sparkling in gratitude, which Seokjin kindly returned. Just like that, the somber attitude lingering in the air around them disappeared completely, allowing both men to slip back into a more comfortable atmosphere as they continued to spoil little Chimmy with pets and tickles (which he just ate up because Chimmy loved attention). 

After eventually detangling themselves from Chimmy and finally finishing the rest of the tasks, both men reached the end of their time together, with Seokjin making a promise to join Namjoon again for stable duty in the future. With a bright look and a respectable bow goodbye, Namjoon was left to watch as Seokjin’s stately shadow slowly disappeared from the stables.

_I guess I have one more thing to look forward to when on stable duty_ , Namjoon thought as he fondly smiled to himself.

* * *

“Alright, here’s the plan. You go over there looking all lonely and such and then say ‘ _Can I perhaps join you? I’ve seriously really lonely, like a TOTAL loner—”_

_“—_ HEY! I don’t talk like that! And I’ll have you know that being a famous opera singer means I have _tons_ of fans so I’m not a _loner_ by any means!”

“ _– and could do with some friends. PUHWEASE!!!!’_. And boom, we’ve got us a spy in the group,” Taehyung finished explaining his plan despite the interruption, his voice rising a few octaves where he (attempted) to imitate Rosie. Judging from everyone’s reaction, it hadn’t been very convincing.

It was honestly a really great plan ( _Taehyung mentally gave himself a pat on the shoulder_ ). Getting information about the Black Eagle’s strategy for the mock battle would be easy if Rosie could become friends with them. There was no way any of the guys would ever be let into their circle, but Rosie? That was a different story entirely.

If she agreed to the plan that was. And that certainly was the hard part.

Taehyung had become quick friends with Rosie given their shared background. They both grew up as orphans in the slums of Fhirdiad, the Kingdom’s capital, and were lucky to have been able to escape such conditions. Taehyung had Lord Song to thank whereas Rosie was able to escape due to her own talents. She had been plucked off the streets and taken to the opera house once her heavenly voice had been heard by the right person.

They both understood each other, meaning it was clear to Taehyung that his plan would not morally sit right with Rosie. She would definitely be hesitant to act as a double-agent. Although he hated having her partake in such dubious deeds, it was for the best of their own house. Plus, it was just some minor spying and nothing _TOO_ bad.

_I really need her on board for this to work,_ Taehyung mused.

Rosie placed her arms at her waist and looked at Taehyung with clear hesitation written across her face. “I don’t feel entirely comfortable knowing that I’ll be playing tricks on the Black Eagle girls. That’s really not my style,” Rosie sighed before turning to Seokjin, asking for his input, “Mr. House Leader, what exactly are your thoughts on spying on the other houses?”

Seokjin’s eyes widened as he suddenly became the focus of everyone’s attention, hands tightening around his lunch tray nervously. He clearly did not expect to be the final decisionmaker on the issue. _Come on Seokjin,_ Taehyung pleaded.

“Umm… while I don’t necessarily condone such actions, if the rest of the class is in agreement, then I have little power to disagree.”

_“WOOHOO!”_ Taehyung and Hoseok yelled as they high-fived each other. Taehyung tried to give a high-five to Yoongi who promptly ignored him.

_Not on my watch._ Unwilling to accept such a rejection, Taehyung forcefully grabbed Yoongi’s free hand with a large smile on his face and connected it to his own with a resounding _SLAP._ _There. That’s much better._

Yoongi for his part only gave a quick scoff of annoyance before hastily pulling his hand out of Taehyung’s grip. _Hmm… I thought he would have killed me for sure. I guess he’s really warming up to me!_

“Plus, Taehyung is right. It could benefit us in the mock battle,” Seokjin finished with conviction, eyes twinkling with joy at seeing the antics of his classmates.

_Great! Seokjin’s on board, now we just need Rosie._ Acting on his thoughts, Taehyung pivoted his full attention toward the lady in question, batting his eyes and pouting his lips in a pleading manner. _There’s no way she could possibly turn down my cuteness!_

Rosie, however, just rolled her eyes at Taehyung’s attempts to win her over. She looked at the ground in an effort to ignore everyone’s (minus Yoongi of course) pleading looks, twirling a strand of her blonde hair around her finger in deep thought, trying to weigh the benefits of such a plan.

_Wow. I thought for sure that would work! Guess I need to take it up a notch._

“I’ll take over your scheduled kitchen duty for the rest of the week,” Taehyung spoke up, trying to get an answer out of her. There was no way she could resist that offer!

Rosie’s attention immediately snapped back to him at such an attractive suggestion, the weary fog of caution in her eyes immediately being replaced with interest. She wrapped her arms around Taehyung with a contagious smile, before opening up her mouth to respond.

_YES! THIS IS IT! SHE’S GOING TO SAY YE—_

“Make it a month and you have a deal.” 

Taehyung felt his soul leave his body. _How could someone with such a sweet personality be so cruel?_ And Rosie even had to nerve to continue smiling as if she had not gravelly played with his emotions.

“A MONTH! THAT’S TOO LONG! YOU CAN’T POSSIBLY EXPECT AWGDTHEHS _—_ ” Hoseok covered his mouth before he could finish ranting, shooting a beaming grin to the woman in question.

“Sounds great! Taehyung will totally do that! So are you in now?”

_NO, not great! Not great at all!_ Taehyung would have said as much if Hoseok’s hand wasn’t still clasped around his mouth, arms flailing around in annoyance. Any attempt at speaking was quickly reduced to a mess of garbled nonsense, which the others obviously wanted. 

Rosie swirled her hair around her finger in mock thought at Hoseok’s question, but it was clear to everyone that she had already decided on her answer, judging from the way she shot a victorious look to Taehyung, who could only weakly glare in response.

“Urgh. Fine! I guess I’ll do all the dirty work for you guys. Don’t you guys ever dare say I’m not loyal to the Blue Lions,” she finally conceded to the cheers of the rest of class.

Looking to free himself, Taehyung bit Hoseok’s hand, who quickly released his grip on the man with a loud _‘OWW’._

_Serves him right_ , Taehyung thought before turning to face the object of his anger. Rosie just laughed at his rather unthreatening attempt at a glare before gently patting his cheeks in endearment, as an adult would to a child. 

“You’re evil,” Taehyung managed to huff out.

“And don’t you forget it!” Rosie shouted out behind her as she made her way over the table where the ladies from the Black Eagles house were sitting. _At least the plan was finally in action, even if I did end up coming out as a loser in the entire ordeal._

The rest of the Blue Lions watched the scene before them in anticipation, wondering whether or not Rosie would be accepted by the other girls.

“Umm hello everyone! Mind if I join you girls,” Rosie asked the group once she reached their table, with _—_ _was that a fake nervousness in her voice?_ _Oh this girl was good._ Taehyung couldn’t help but be impressed.

Rosie’s interruption had gained her the attention of the group of girls, who looked as if they had bought her acting. “—It’s just that I’m the only girl in my class and … well, too be honest, it’s kind of hard being surrounded by thick-headed men all day. I could really use a change of pace if you know what I mean.”

_Wait a minute. Thick-headed?_ _Yoongi I understand, but me?_ Taehyung couldn’t help but mentally pout even though deep down he knew it was just part of the ruse and she was just kidding. _She was kidding…right?_

Lisa let out a laugh in agreement, while Jennie and Jisoo exchanged a knowing look. Jisoo gestured at the seat in front of her with a smile, encouraging Rosie to sit. “That must be rough. I mean, I got lucky getting to have Jennie and Lisa by my side. Please feel free to join us whenever you wish to escape from that prison,” Jisoo graciously responded (ever the well-mannered princess), as Rosie did a happy little jig at earning their acceptance. She wasted no time in sitting down and engaging in conversation with the Black Eagle women.

Taehyung also mentally cheered at her success from his spot, before cringing once he noticed Hoseok making his way over to the table. _I should have known Hoseok wouldn’t have been able to resist a table full of pretty girls_. _Urgh. This is going to totally mess up the plan_.

“That won’t go well,” Seokjin remarked from the side with a small shrug of his shoulders before heading to their own table, not wanting to witness the incoming train wreck. Yoongi followed, muttering a string of curses directed towards Hoseok under his breath. Taehyung continued to stare because _well, at least this was bound to be good entertainmen_ t.

The lively conversation immediately died once they spied Hoseok walking in their direction. Lisa looked up in surprise, while Jisoo gave him a very disinterested look. Jennie gave the man a sharp glare that would have scared an ordinary person, but then again, Hoseok wasn’t ordinary. Rosie only groaned in exasperation at knowing what was about to come next.

Their silence did nothing to discourage Hoseok, because really, he had stopped paying attention to warning signs long ago. “Heelllloooo lovely ladies,” he crooned flirtatiously as he set his plate next to them, a blinding smile plastered on his face, “Mind if I join?”

“Yes.”

Taehyung wasn’t going to lie, Jennie’s no-nonsense prompt rejection made him chuckle. It looked like even Hoseok had been taken aback by her straight-faced remark, his crooked smirk momentarily falling from his face before immediately returning after composing himself.

_Oh wow, he’s really going to keep going_ , Taehyung thought to himself, _if anything, I do have to admire his bravery_.

Hoseok opened his mouth slightly, getting ready to no doubt throw some sort of flattery their way, before Jisoo hastily interrupted, effectively cutting him off again.

“Sorry. Girls only,” came her dignified response, a perfectly sculpted brown eyebrow raised in a manner that conveyed her displeasure at his presence. She clearly did not want to warrant his lecherous actions with a reaction.

Hoseok balked at their dismissal ( _maybe he’s not used to being rejected?)_ , brown eyes furiously blinking as he struggled to understand what just happened. As Hoseok stood there in confusion, Kim Kibum, one of the famed Knights of the Church, slipped into the empty spot in front of Lisa.

_Hmmm, interesting development_.

“You heard the ladies Jung,” Kibum smirked at the womanizer in front of them before turning to give Lisa a thankful smile which she returned with an enthusiastic wave of the hand, “Urgh. Training went longer than expected. Thanks for saving my spot!”

With Kibum’s introduction, the girls resumed their conversation, effectively ignoring Hoseok, who had begun to gesture at the man in front of him while mumbling like a mad man. “B-b-but you let Kibum sit with you!”

Jisoo fixed him with a blank look before shrugging her shoulders, “Eh. He always has some good gossip.”

“Plus he gives really great fashion tips,” Lisa interjected happily.

_Really? Hmm…good to know,_ Taehyung mentally noted.

“Do we have to repeat it again? _Beat it Jung,_ ” Kibum cackled before returning back to his chat about hair care techniques with Jennie. With that, Hoseok had no choice but to give up, partaking in the walk of shame back towards the Blue Lions table. Taehyung followed from a safe distance, trying not to be associated with his actions.

“Told you it wouldn’t end well,” Seokjin quietly muttered in an ‘ _I-told-you-so’_ tone once they had both settled down at the table.

“Hmm… dinner and a show,” Yoongi sarcastically remarked as stuffed a meat skewer into his mouth. 

“You guys suck!” Hoseok pouted as they all broke out in various forms of laughter.

_At least Rosie was able to get closer to them._

Little did they know, several of their other classmates were also planning to do some espionage of their own before the mock battle.

“Come on guys, we need to start interacting with the enemy in order to successfully figure out their strategy,” Jimin remarked as he led Jungkook and Namjoon towards the Blue Lions’ dining table. Well technically anybody could sit anywhere, but the houses had already staked a claim to a specific table. _So much for inter-house friendship_ , Jungkook scoffed in his head.

“You want us to spy on them?” Namjoon questioned whilst looking extremely apprehensive at such a prospect, probably at the idea of having to interact with people he didn’t really know.

Really Jungkook could relate.

Seeing Namjoon uncomfortable made Jungkook feel concerned for the other man.

Jungkook had quickly gotten along with the older man seeing as how they were both frequent visitors of the library. They had gotten into the routine of sharing the same table and partaking in quiet studying, whispering to each other only when necessary. Namjoon would mark interesting passages in his books before sliding them over to Jungkook who would reciprocate the action with his own texts. Really, it was a comforting friendship. Plus, Namjoon was kind enough to respect his boundaries and smart enough to not encroach on sensitive topics. _Unlike others._

“Not _SPY_ per se. Just think of it as making new friends…whilst also trying to learn their fighting strategies,” Jimin stated, trying to angle his argument in a way that would calm down Namjoon’s fears. A quick glance over at Namjoon’s still worried face made it clear that it hadn’t worked.

Really, Jungkook personally didn’t think they needed to resort to spying. He was fully confident in his own magic abilities ( _the sword fighting was another story, but, HEY! He was working on that!)_ and he fully trusted in Namjoon’s healing expertise. Jimin… was beyond annoying and constantly trying to push his buttons, but even Jungkook couldn’t deny the other man was quite talented with his bow.

But if his house leader really wanted to go down this route, then as a good student, Jungkook would indulge him. _Just this once, of course._

“Look, if we’re going to do this, then we need to be cautious when spying. If it gets too obvious and they start to notice, we will all get into some major trouble. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t necessarily plan on making enemies, especially ones who live in the training grounds like Yoongi,” Jungkook explained, directing his response towards Jimin who gleefully ate up every word.

_Looks like he’s happy that I agreed with his dumb plan_.

With a confident smirk on his face, Jimin clasped an arm around both men, bringing them closer to him. _And down to his height,_ Jungkook mentally smirked.

“Relax guys! I’ve totally got this. Just trust me.”

Trusting Park Jimin was about the last possible thing Jungkook wanted to do. _I mean, who would willingly trust some mystery man would suddenly appeared out of thin air_.

Jungkook knew nothing about him, unlike his many of the other classmates with who he had grown up. As such, Jungkook really didn’t know how to act around the man, placing up his usual walls in an attempt to keep himself safe and secure. It didn’t help that Jimin was so interested in him, immediately being drawn to his strange appearance.

_Just like everyone else,_ Jungkook mentally sighed. People were just so predictable nowadays.

Namjoon reluctantly gave his sigh of approval, adjusting his glasses with hesitation, “I guess I can help if you want.”

With Namjoon on board, that meant Jungkook was next. Jimin looked at Jungkook with expecting eyes. “Tch. Whatever,” he finally responded, earning a (forceful) pat on the back, almost knocking him to the ground. _Oof_.

Once he recovered his footing, Jungkook quickly repeated the same action to Jimin, clawing at the older man’s shoulder with his free hand and pushing him towards the ground with all of his strength. Jimin clearly seemed prepared for such a childish retaliation judging by the way in which he had ground his feet into the tiled floor, only stumbling slightly before straightening back up to his previous position _How irritating_.

“Always be a step ahead,” Jimin replied as he pointed a finger towards his brain, a smirk directed towards Jungkook who was internally fuming, “I’m glad you presented me with the opportunity to teach you something new today Jungkook!”

Namjoon hastily grabbed Jungkook’s hand before he could teach Jimin ‘ _SoMeThInG nEw’_. Jimin just ignored his potential outbreak before leading the way to the Blue Lions’ table, lunch tray in hand. “Just follow my lead guys!”

Jungkook pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation, taking in deep breaths to calm himself down. _Fighting won’t get you anywhere. Plus, it would make your parents disappointed if they received a letter from the monastery detailing how you killed the future leader of the Leicester Alliance._

With that thought, he shrugged off Namjoon’s concerned look before grabbing his own tray and following his house leader, who was currently standing in front of the Blue Lions table. He could hear the timid pattering of Namjoon’s feet behind him, following his lead.

The Blue Lions looked up from their conversation to eye the men with apprehension and confusion. Cross-house conversations were not that common, and friendships were even rarer, with students preferring to communicate with those in their own houses. So they were definitely sticking out here.

Let it be known that although Jungkook didn’t know exactly what tactic Jimin was about to use, he most certainly did not expect the words that did end up coming out of his house leader’s mouth. 

“Hey guys, what’s going on! Mind telling me what your strategy for the mock battle is?”

At once, all eyes snapped to Park Jimin and the very suspicious smile plastered on his face, all in various shades of shock, confusion, and anger.

Jungkook let out a groan whilst simultaneously slapping his hand against his forehead in annoyance at Jimin’s lack of tact. _What part of ‘not being suspicious’ did Jimin not understand!_

The Blue Lions looked at him in quiet shock, silently judging him. Jungkook, bursting with embarrassment, had half a mind to turn around and leave Jimin to fend for himself.

“Wow. You honestly went straight to the point and didn’t even bother to beat around the bush. I’ve got to admit, that is quite admirable.” Taehyung finally responded, breaking the silence with an appreciative nod.

Next to him, Namjoon let out a sigh that he had been holding in, fully echoing Jungkook’s own sentiments. _Whew. That could have gone WAY worse._

“What can I say? I like being forward,” Jimin coolly replied as he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. He placed his plate on the table and slid into the empty spot next to Taehyung who welcomed him with a small wave. 

“What a strange coincidence! So do I,” Hoseok responded suggestively as he leaned closer to Jimin from the other side of the table, even tacking on a flirtatious wink at the end. And Jimin egged him on by blowing a kiss in his direction.

Jungkook visibly gagged at the exchange. _Really???_

“Ditto,” Yoongi replied as he looked over at Jungkook, sharing his sentiments, obvious disgust on his face at what he just had to witness. He promptly slapped Hoseok’s arm out from under his head, resulting in Hoseok’s face crashing into the table with a loud _SLAM_.

Taehyung and Jimin both began hollering at the sight, much to Hoseok’s displeasure. Jungkook let out a quick snort before sitting down in the free spot next to Yoongi who welcomed him with a curt nod, both of them ignoring Hoseok’s whining _(“YOONGI! MY HANDSOME FACE!! HOW COULD YOU!”)_.

_Maybe Yoongi isn’t that bad. Hm, who would have thought_?

Off to the side, he could see the Blue Lions house leader, Prince Seokjin, beckoning Namjoon over to the free spot next to him with a charming smile and courteous wave of the hand. Namjoon shyly waved back with his free hand before plopping into the empty seat and engaging in conversation with the prince.

Now that was a strange sight to see. Shy Namjoon! Willingly talking to someone from another house? And a prince no less? _When exactly did those two get close? Something’s definitely going on there._ Jungkook made a mental note to ask later during their daily library study time.

Jimin frantically waved his hands in front of everyone, trying to get their attention back on him, much like a kid would. _And he has the nerve to call ME childish!_

“HEY FOCUS ON ME GUYS! We came over to spy on you guys and you haven’t been even the tiniest bit helpful! Hurry up and spill the details!”

_Again,_ _what part of 'not being suspicious’ did Jimin not understand!_ If Jungkook had known this was the approach Jimin was going to take, then he would have never agreed to such an embarrassing plan.

“I just want everyone here to know that I do not associate with that man right there,” Jungkook groaned out, feeling a desperate need to explain himself to the other guys lest they get the wrong opinion of him. Yoongi, surprisingly, nodded in understanding, like he could relate.

“Unfortunately, we cannot do that Park Jimin. Although you guys are more than welcome to stay here and converse with us,” Seokjin responded to his house leader’s outburst in a very polite manner, “if you so please of course.” He tacked on the end a bit nervously after shooting a quick glance at Namjoon, probably not wanting to make it seem like they were being forced to stay.

“Yeah, you’re not getting a peep out of us! Right guys?” Hoseok added, turning to Taehyung and Yoongi for their confirmation. Taehyung fervently nodded in agreement with a (fake) serious face, while Yoongi grumpily ‘ _mrmph’d’_ as he took a giant bite out of his food.

Jimin immediately shrugged, clearly not too discouraged that he wasn’t able to get any details out of them, “Well I at least had to try. So, got any good gossip?” Just like that, the topic changed and the group of men fell into a more comfortable atmosphere.

Taehyung was recalling (in embarrassing detail) Hoseok’s recent humiliating encounter with the Black Eagles much to Jimin’s amusement. Hoseok was desperately trying to save face and protect his image. Seokjin and Namjoon were watching their classmates’ antics in quiet enjoyment, chiming into the conversation every now and then. Yoongi was grumbling to him about how he had to deal with this nonsense every day and to count himself lucky, which Jungkook immediately took as a challenge (“ _You think YOU have it worse? I’m about to prove you wrong!_ ”).

The endless chatter from their table continued up until the cathedral’s bells rang, signaling the end of the lunch period. Not like they noticed, being far too engrossed in each other’s presence.

As Jungkook laughed at a particularly bad joke from Hoseok, he could help but think, that for the first time in a while, he felt comfortable enough to let down his guard and have fun with the others. And he really liked it.

Maybe he could get used to this.

* * *

_SWISH! CLANG! TANG!_

The unmistakable sound of metal clashing against metal reverberated across the training grounds. Hoseok watched with intrigued eyes as Yoongi engaged in a training exercise with the weapons instructor, a strange man who went by the name D.O.

The instructor was of small stature, much like Yoongi, and oddly enough, donned an ornate black mask ( _which complemented his head-to-toe onyx-colored attire)_ that covered the upper part of his face, only allowing his eyes to be seen. His outfit choices, combined with his seemingly permanent disinterested look, contributed to his overall menacing demeanor.

_The monastery really seems to attract the most abnormal people_. 

If Hoseok was being honest, D.O’s creepy aura was enough to keep him away, along with everyone else. Which is probably what the man wanted. Despite being an instructor available to help all students, only Yoongi ever seemed brave enough to practice with the man.

_Probably because Yoongi doesn’t think anybody else is capable of keeping up with him. I mean…he’s kind of right._

Yoongi’s fighting skills were undoubted unmatched among the other students, leading him to spar with only those he thought were worth his time, such as D.O. Like Yoongi tended to put it, you have nothing to learn from someone you can beat in a matter of seconds.

Hoseok watched as the instructor directed a particularly strong hit towards Yoongi, only for his friend to quickly pivot away before it could land. For such a small man, D.O’s hits tended to pack an immense amount of force, creating a challenge for Yoongi who wasn’t exactly able to match his strength, a challenge his friend no doubt enjoyed.

_Good thing Yoongi was fast_ , Hoseok thought as he observed Yoongi block another hit with the edge of his sword, a second before it would have slashed through his shoulder.

Watching Yoongi fight was always a treat. His friend had an amazing ability to make fighting look like an art, lunging into the next move with enough fluidity to rival a dancer. Hoseok could see small beads of perspiration dripping down Yoongi’s face as he attacked with all his might, amber eyes fiercely locked on their target, and stray pieces of navy hair slowly coming undone from the bun on top of his head.

Hoseok couldn’t deny it. There was something incredibly attract—

“HEY!”

The sharp yell coming from next to Hoseok caused him to snap out of his thoughts. Taehyung had begun to poke him in the ribs with the butt of his arrows shortly after yelling, trying to get Hoseok’s attention.

“What,” Hoseok yelled back with an annoyed eyeroll.

Taehyung just narrowed his eyes at the sharp response, not liking his sass one bit. “Last I recalled, you were here to help me train. Not so you could ogle Yoongi!”

“I wasn’t _ogling_ ,” Hoseok spluttered out in embarrassment.

_OGLING YOONGI?? MY BEST FRIEND??? There was no way I was doing that! Right?_

“Yeah, whatever,” Taehyung scoffed in disbelief as he returned to his training, correctly sensing that Hoseok was far too distracted to be of any real help.

Hoseok momentarily took his eyes off of Yoongi to watch as Taehyung readied himself into position, nocking an arrow onto his training bow, eyes narrowing in concentration at the target in front of him after blowing a stray tuft of silvery-brown hair out of his face with a quick huff. With a focused intake of breath, Taehyung finally released his fingers from their grip around the feathered head of the arrow, his concentrated eyes following the arrow’s trajectory until it found its home a few centimeters away from the center of the target.

_Not bad. Maybe he doesn’t really need my help after all._

Taehyung, unfortunately, didn’t seem to think the same judging from how he immediately turned to Hoseok with an irritated pout on his face that seemed to scream ‘ _I would have hit the target if you had actually helped me instead of being busy leering at Yoongi._ ’

It was truly amazing how one look could convey all that. That man had quite the skill with his expressions.

Hoseok merely held up his hand in defense. _Okay, okay. I got it. I’ll go ahead and help you train…right after I’m done watching Yoongi practice._

Speaking of Yoongi, it seemed like his spar with D.O was slowly coming to an end, both of them tapping into their final bits of remaining strength in order to end out on top.

D.O. moved first, aiming a kick at Yoongi’s legs, trying to get him to lose his balance. Yoongi reacted perfectly, sidestepping the attack and using his momentum to launch himself ( _and his sword_ ) towards the instructor. D.O. instinctively brought his sword forward, trying to reach Yoongi before the man could hit him.

Hoseok watched in suspense as both men eventually ended up pointing their swords to the other’s throat at the exact same time, chests heaving in exhaustion.

A draw.

Yoongi wasn’t going to like that one bit.

As if proving his point, Yoongi lowered his sword with a glare directed towards the instructor. “Again,” Yoongi huffed out.

D.O blankly stared at the man as he sheathed his sword. “My hours of instruction for today are over,” he responded before turning on his heels and heading out of the training grounds without so much as a look back at Yoongi.

His friend growled in frustration at the display, letting out a few choice words about the instructor, and acting as if he wasn’t going to ask the man to spar again tomorrow.

_As his closest and most awesome friend, I would TOTALLY be slacking if I didn’t go over there and comfort him! I’m sure Taehyung won’t mind at all!_

After that bit of self-reassurance and encouragement, Hoseok sauntered over to Yoongi who was busy polishing his sword in the corner, back turned to him.

“That was some fine fighting you were doing there Yoongs,” Hoseok spoke up in the shorter man’s ear, clamping his hand around Yoongi’s shoulder in praise.

Yoongi immediately stilled at the sudden presence, shoulders hunching up in agitation. In the blink of an eye, Hoseok felt the cold metal of a sword pressed against the skin of his throat, sending shivers down his body.

_In hindsight, that was totally on me. Maybe wasn’t the best idea to sneak up on him._

Yoongi’s intense stare let up a few notches, returning back to its usual cold stare upon realizing Hoseok was the idiot who had thought it wise to sneak up on him. 

“I lost. How exactly is that ‘ _fine fighting’_ ,” Yoongi scoffed out as he removed his sword from Hoseok’s throat, not even bothering to address Hoseok’s attempts to “surprise him _”_.

_I guess Yoongi just REALLY knows me by now._

“You didn’t lose! It was a draw,” Hoseok cheerfully shot back as Yoongi resumed polishing his sword, a grumpy frown etched on his face at the reminder of the outcome.

“Same thing. What are you doing here anyways? You never come to the training grounds,” Yoongi grunted out without even bothering to look Hoseok in the eyes.

That was completely true. Hoseok didn’t really like training and thought it was a major waste of time. _Why bother practicing when you could spend that precious time with someone far more interesting… and warmer than a metal weapon?_

“I’m here to help Taehyung with his bow training,” Hoseok shrugged, gesturing over to Taehyung in the corner who was still practicing away.

Yoongi briefly looked up from his sword, following Hoseok’s finger to Taehyung who was busy doing an adorable little jig after managing to hit a bullseye. “Some help you must be. All the way over here.”

“You see that there!! It was all my doing!!” Hoseok yelled out, trying to improve Yoongi’s opinion of him.

_Yeah, that’ll impress him for sure,_ Hoseok smugly thought as he threw a confident smirk in Yoongi’s direction.

What Hoseok didn’t account for, however, was Taehyung managing to hear him. Taehyung sharply snapped his head at Hoseok’s attempts to try to take credit for his accomplishments, initiating a screaming match across the training grounds.

“YOU DID _NOTHING_!! That was all me!! You hear that! _M_ E!!”

Yoongi ( _curse him)_ only raised a sharp eyebrow in response, obviously trying to see how Hoseok was going to try to get himself out of this mess.

_Urgh, why did Taehyung have to go and ruin everything!_

“Just ignore him,” Hoseok muttered weakly, rubbing the back of his neck bashfully as he felt his face reddening in embarrassment, the color matching with his effortlessly windswept hair.

Taehyung ( _curse him as well_ ) had also managed to hear that, further agitating him. “I’ll give you something to ignore,” Taehyung muttered as he aggressively ripped off his leather arm guard and bit off his gloves, tossing all his equipment to the ground as he angrily stomped his way over to the pair. 

“Oh, great,” both Hoseok and Yoongi said as they watched Taehyung maneuver around the grounds. Yoongi with an intrigued tone and a slight upturn of the corner of his mouth, the closest thing to a smile he would ever muster. _Probably because he’s enjoying that fact that I’m about to get pulverized._ _The jerk._

And Hoseok… well, Hoseok was scared. _Taehyung looks REALLY upset. Perhaps I shouldn’t have made him mad? Hehe… too late._

Taehyung proceeded to get all up in Hoseok’s face, staring him down with eyes alit in irritation and pressing an accusatory finger firmly into his chest. Hoseok instinctively stepped backward, trying to get away from the man, with little success, eventually feeling the cold stone of a pillar pressing up against his back, blocking him from moving any further.

“Listen here Jung. You’re walking a fine line,” Taehyung sharply began, digging his finger deeper into Hoseok’s chest, as the man in question began to frantically dart his eyes around, trying to find some way to escape the situation.

_And I just found it!_

“ROSIE! So nice to see you here…haha… _help me_ ,” Hoseok exclaimed with a false sense of courage, trying to catch the attention of the woman walking into the training grounds at just the right time.

Rosie looked around at the scene before her, confused eyes darting around from person to person, trying to take in everything that was happening. Taehyung getting ready to throw hands, Yoongi looking entertained, and Hoseok busy cowering, eyes pleading with her to help him out. Yeah that must have been one the weirdest things to walk in on.

“What are you guys doing,” Rosie eventually questioned, concern creeping into her voice.

“Taehyung’s about to kill Hoseok. Might want to say your goodbyes now,” Yoongi bluntly answered her question, doing absolutely nothing to calm Hoseok’s nerves. Taehyung sternly nodded in agreement with Yoongi’s assessment without bothering to look away from Hoseok.

_ROSIE! PLEASE HELP!!!!!!_

“Ummmm… before you do that, would anybody like some snacks! I thought you guys deserved a treat for training so hard,” Rosie happily exclaimed if as Hoseok wasn’t in a dire situation, thrusting forward a rosy silk handkerchief into Taehyung’s face that no doubt contained said snacks.

Almost immediately, the anger on Taehyung’s face dissipated, his intense glare being replaced by an open-mouthed look of delighted surprise. He gave Rosie his signature boxy grin as he took the handkerchief out of her hands and began digging through the treats.

_Bless her heart. I should really consider giving her a gift of some sort._ _Exactly what kind of flower says, ‘Thanks for saving my life’? Hmm, I’ll definitely have to ask around._

“I made some delicious cookies with the other girls! Don’t give me that look Yoongi,” Rosie sharply reprimanded, tossing a stern look over at Yoongi who had made a disgusted face at hearing the word ‘ _cookies_ ’, “I made sure to pack some jerky specifically for you. I really have no clue how you don’t like sweets.”

Yoongi’s face immediately lightened up upon hearing that she had packed some meat for him. Taehyung momentarily paused in his inhaling of the cookies, tossing over the small bits of meat over to Yoongi who immediately caught them in his hand and proceeded to hungrily gnaw at the jerky.

_Those cookies look really good,_ Hoseok thought to himself as he mentally licked his lips. He slowly started to edge his hands towards the container, trying to sneak himself a powdered sugar cookie, only to sharply pull back once Taehyung fixed him with a territorial glare.

_Okay, never mind. Please, enjoy your cookies Taehyung._

Rosie rolled her eyes at the interaction, far too used to their antics by now. As Yoongi and Taehyung happily munched away at their snacks ( _jerks)_ , Hoseok decided to use this time to follow up on Rosie’s mission for the month.

“So Rosie, find out anything interesting about the Black Eagles yet?”

Her eyes immediately lit up at the question, enthusiastically diving into her response, “Oh, I found out plenty! For instance, I know that Jisoo and Jennie have been friends for a _REALLY_ long time, and they know _EVERYTHING_ about each other. And did you know that Lisa is really good at braiding hair? Also—”

All three men shared a knowing look. If Hoseok didn’t cut her off now, she was surely going to keep going on and on about things that they really had no interest in knowing.

“—I meant anything useful about the mock battle,” Hoseok hesitantly interrupted, earning him a scowl from Rosie.

“Urgh, so boring. Lisa’s fighting with her sword, Jisoo with her axe, and Jennie is doubling up on reason and faith magic. There are you content now,” Rosie grumpily responded as she yanked her cookies out of Taehyung’s hands and bit into them in annoyance, much to his displeasure (“ _HEY!_ ”).

_Serves him right_ , Hoseok smugly thought, smirking at the excellent piece of payback.

“Yup,” Yoongi blankly responded, glad that she had stopped rambling about things that he no doubt considered useless. Rosie fixed him with a sharp look as she yanked the last piece of jerky out of his hands, right as he was getting ready to place it in his open mouth.

_Okay we were a bit disrespectful. But coming between Yoongi and meat? Yikes._

“No snacks for rude people,” Rosie growled, angrily biting into the last bits of jerky as Yoongi’s eyes narrowed in outrage at having his food taken right out from his hands. Hoseok instinctively scrunched up his face in apprehension at the conflict that was about to begin. _Oh boy…_

“I’ll just give the rest of the snacks to Seokjin. At least I know _he_ won’t be rude to me,” Rosie sourly tacked on with a bravery that Hoseok found commendable but also a bit dumb because, this _was_ Yoongi they were talking about., “Anybody know where I can find him?”

At the mere mention of Seokjin’s name, the flames in Yoongi’s eyes grew larger. He started to rise from his spot, fingers tightening around his sword menacingly. Rosie didn’t even seem to flinch. If anything, she seemed to match his glare, shooting him a look that clearly asked Yoongi to try her. Hoseok could even see sparks radiating from her fingers, magic sizzling in a silent warning.

“Seokjin’s probably at the stables. He’s started to spend a lot of time there for whatever reason. Perhaps, you could go check…like now,” Taehyung timidly interrupted with a raised hand, voice trailing off into a nervous chuckle as he tried to get Rosie out of there. For her sake or for Yoongi’s, Hoseok couldn’t really tell.

Rosie was the first one to finally break eye contact, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly at Taehyung’s suggestion, as though she and Yoongi weren’t just about to kick off a war right here in the training grounds.

“Fine, I guess I’ll go do that,” Rosie sighed begrudgingly as she flipped her golden hair over her shoulders, neatly tying up whatever snacks remained back into her silk handkerchief, entirely ignoring Taehyung and Hoseok hungry stares that seemed to follow her every movement, “See you guys later!”

With that cheerful goodbye, Rosie happily walked back out of the training grounds, long hair bouncing with each step taken.

“Tch. Whatever,” Yoongi grumbled as he watched the giant metal doors close behind her, returning back to his task of polishing his sword without so much as another word. Hoseok and Taehyung shared a look as they let out a breath of relief, glad that the situation had been diffused.

With a small clap on the back, Hoseok led Taehyung back over to the targets, fully prepared to help him with his training this time around.

_Well, at least there’s never a dull moment here at the monastery._

Unbeknownst to those three, off to the corner of the training grounds, behind one of the large pillars lied two figures crouched deep in hiding.

“Nice! I knew spying on them would work to our benefit! Now we know the Black Eagle’s strategy,” Jimin cheerfully whispered to his partner with a cunning smile, a glazed look in his eyes as he began to adjust their plan with this new piece of information.

“You got what you wanted so let’s leave now. My knees are starting to hurt,” Jungkook whined off to his side. He wasn’t lying. A _TALL_ _MAN_ like himself wasn’t exactly cut out for this kind of huddled spying. Why did he even agree to this again?

Jimin merely rolled his eyes at Jungkook’s complaints. _He clearly does not understand that good spying requires hard work._

“Believe it or not Jungkook, it is completely okay for you to thank me every now and then,” Jimin egged on the man next to him with a sarcastic grin, because riling up Jungkook was always entertaining. It was Jimin’s new favorite hobby…right after tinkering with poisons of course.

Jungkook took the bait, digging his elbow deep into Jimin’s side, effectively wiping the smirk off his face, “You know, if you had done your job properly that one time at lunch then we wouldn’t have had to resort to such sneaking around, now would we.”

Jimin, being the mature person that he was, responded to the childish act of aggression by flicking Jungkook across the forehead with his fingers. Very mature indeed.

“Are you really implying that my initial tactic didn’t work? Because I’ll have you know sir that I learned everything I needed to from that little encounter,” Jimin petulantly crossed his arms against his chest, affronted by Jungkook assuming so little of his skills.

Jungkook fixed the man with a glare as he rubbed the part of his forehead that was throbbing in pain, “Really? Because I seem to recall that the Blue Lions refused to tell us anything after you _so brilliantly_ gave our plan away.”

“They might not have told us anything with their _mouths_ , but I gleaned all the necessary information from their _body language_ ,” Jimin explained proudly, continuing as Jungkook raised his eyebrow up in confusion, clearly asking him to explain, “Didn’t you notice how Hoseok seemed to lean closer to Yoongi, trying to shield him from our attention? Or how Seokjin choked on his water and Taehyung began to nervously toy with the buttons on his uniform when I openly asked them to spill the details.”

Jungkook seemed to ponder that response for a minute, bright pink eyes focusing on a specific corner of the room as he seemed to revisit his memories of that day, trying to confirm Jimin’s account. All the while Jimin seemed to smugly wiggle his eyebrows. _Come one Jungkook, it was soooo obvious._

“Hmm. Maybe you aren’t as much of an idiot as I thought,” Jungkook finally responded with a surprised and competitive look. Perhaps his house leader was _actually_ useful. Who would have thought?

“Thanks! Wait a minu—,” Jimin began until he seemed to process the insult, face crinkling in irritation.

“—Come on, lets head out to the forest to practice my sword fighting,” Jungkook interrupted as he got up from his crouch, dusting off the dust from his uniform, cutting off what would have no doubt been a long rant by Jimin telling him to “ _respect his elders”_.

Jimin was left no choice but to trail after the younger man, all the while grumbling up a storm.

* * *

Yoongi took in a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the cool, crisp air around him, absorbing the surrounding atmosphere and trying to let the sun’s rays energize the blood flowing through his veins. He looked into the brilliantly blue sky, eyes squinting at the brightness as he spotted not a cloud in sight.

It looks like the monastery had chosen a great day to host the mock battle.

…Not that Yoongi wasn’t skilled enough to fight in all other forms of weather, because of course he could. Like without a doubt. Duh.

The students were all congregated onto an open grass field located at the base of the monastery, consciously segregating themselves by their respective houses, trying to give their fighters a final round of encouragement before the fighting began.

_About time_. He had spent this entire month training for this day, ready to show up the other students. _It wouldn’t even be a competition_.

Yoongi looked off to his side where Hoseok seemed to be yapping to him about Saint’s knows what. Knowing Hoseok, it was probably something that would no doubt annoy him, so maybe ignoring him was the best course of action. He gave noncommittal grunts and nods every now and then so as to not alert Hoseok to his inattention.

Off behind him stood Taehyung and Rosie, who seemed to be partaking in a rather intense game of pat-a-cake ( _that was the name right? Yoongi had never bothered with such trivialities even when he had been younger_ ), their hands clapping together with a resounding slap as their tempo slowly increased, both of their eyes narrowed in concentration, a smile on their lips as they mentally dared the other to be the first one to mess up.

Normally Yoongi would have looked down on such childish behavior but he knew that Rosie must have initiated the game in an attempt to calm down Taehyung’s nerves concerning the impending mock battle. If it was going to help Taehyung perform better out on the field, then Yoongi wasn’t about to complain. Plus, the game would help warm up his fingers, getting them prepared for all the arrows he was about to nock.

_For those reasons, I’ll keep my mouth shut…just for today anyways._

Next to him, Hoseok suddenly cut off the end of what would have no doubt been a sentence that would have aggravated Yoongi to no end, easy smile falling off his face only to be replaced by a look of distress as something over Yoongi’s shoulder captured his attention. Hoseok’s eyes nervously flickered over to Yoongi, immediately piquing his interest.

It wasn’t usual for Hoseok to abruptly stop talking ( _Yoongi swore that the man really loved to hear himself speak)_ , so whatever it was that he was focused on must have been truly awful. Yoongi just had to see for himself what it was, slowly turning his head to look over at the scene behind him.

At his sudden movement, Hoseok hurriedly reached forward to grip the sleeve of his uniform, fingers tight around his wrist, forcing Yoongi’s attention back onto him instead of on whatever was happening behind him. “You know what! I’m suddenly really interested in hearing about your training regimen, so why don’t you just focus on me and tell me every single detail about it. Sound good?”

Yoongi narrowed his eyes at Hoseok’s sudden switch in behavior. Any other person would have fallen into the trap he had just laid, but Yoongi was no simple man. Something was clearly up judging from the nervous chuckles spilling out of Hoseok’s mouth and the way his eyes were pleading with him to go along with what he was saying.

_Is Hoseok willingly bringing up training? Hoseok of all people? Wait a minute… is he trying to distract me from whatever is happening behind me? Well now I simply have to know_ , Yoongi thought to himself as he forcefully pulled his hand out of Hoseok’s tight grip and finally turned around. Hoseok just let out a small sigh in defeat.

Yoongi’s eyes danced over the field crowded with students, trying to latch onto the object of interest.

_Hmmm, now what exactly has gotten Hoseok all riled up? Was it … wait…NO! OH MY EYES!_

All at once, Yoongi could feel his soul leaving his body, physically recoiling at the sight before him. He didn’t know whether to scream or vomit. _Maybe both?_ He now knew why Hoseok had tried so hard to distract him. If only he had listened.

Just why _?_ Why did he have to lay witness to _THAT_? Was he put on this earth …just to suffer?

The victim of his disgust was none other than the Golden Deer Jeon Jungkook, someone who Yoongi had once thought was a decent guy. But not anymore.

_I thought you were alright Jungkook. How could you betray me like this?_

Jungkook was…He was… messing around with his sword… like this was the first time in his life that he had ever lain hands on the weapon. Jungkook’s grip on the training sword was all sorts of messed up and it sure didn’t help that he was swinging it around as if he were carrying a tree branch. The horror.

Not many things could render Yoongi utterly speechless. But shoddy swordsmanship sure could. To see such a magnificent weapon… reduced to that pitiful display… it truly pained him.

Yoongi knew that people from the Alliance tended to be archers so they might not be as familiar with a sword, but still… this sight was far too much to bear. His trainer back home would _KILL HIM_ if he even looked at a sword the wrong way, let alone do whatever it was the Jungkook was doing.

_URGH!!! Why carry a sword if you don’t know how to use it!!!!!_

“You know Hoseok. I think that sight physically hurt me,” Yoongi quietly stated, face still scrunched up in disgust as what he had just seen. Hoseok just fixed him with a look of pity.

“Yeah, I thought so. That’s why I tried to stop you in the first place.”

Yoongi gave a small nod in agreement, signaling to Hoseok that he was right. Yoongi only had himself to blame for what had transpired.

And just when he thought it couldn’t get any worse, Jungkook decided to prove him wrong by angrily whispering to Jimin, “URGH! Why do I have to carry this useless sword with me anyways? I honestly don’t know how anyone can prefer to a sword to literally any other form of fighting!”

_Saints above, the absolute disrespect!!!_ _I’ll show you exactly why the sword is superior!!!!_

Hoseok hastily grabbed Yoongi's arm, pulling him back before he could go over there and start giving Jungkook a piece of his mind. _Have I really become that predictable or does he just really know how to read me?_

“Save it for the battle Yoongs,” Hoseok chuckled, chestnut eyes alit with mirth as he quickly dropped Yoongi’s arm, not wanting to become a victim of his anger. Yoongi grumpily frowned as he accepted Hoseok’s words, angrily kicking at the ground in order to let out his frustration.

_Just you wait Jeon Jungkook._

Seokjin, who had come over to join them just as Yoongi had begun plotting out every second of Jungkook’s eventual murder, quickly becoming distressed at the ferocious look on Yoongi’s face. Seokjin’s eyebrows scrunched in concern as he leaned over to whisper to Hoseok, his index finger pointing in Yoongi’s general direction, “Ummm…what exactly is up with him?”

Yoongi felt his eye twitch at Seokjin’s attempt at concern over him. _Urgh_. _Don’t pretend to act as if you care about me_ … _Fret not Seokjin. I’ll add you to my list… right after Jungkook._

Hoseok for his part just nonchalantly shrugged at Seokjin’s alarm, casually throwing his arms behind his head with a showy yawn.

“Yoongi? Oh, he’s planning a murder. Just ignore him.”

_Okay I guess Hoseok really does know me,_ Yoongi grumbled internally, acknowledging his question from before.

Out of nowhere, a sharp sound pierced through the air, distracting all of the students on the field. Hoseok and Seokjin, along with the other surrounding students, jumped up in surprise at the sudden noise.

Not Yoongi, of course, because he was built from a different material. And if anyone dared say otherwise, well then, he would skewer them.

“WOOOOO!!! GOOO BLUE LIOOONS!!!!!”

Yoongi internally cringed at the thunderous hollering. _Was that really necessary?_

A quick glance (more like glare) towards the direction of the offender made it clear to Yoongi that yes, maybe it was really necessary given the individual he was dealing with. The loud cheers came from none other than Choi Minho, the Knights’ own resident loudmouth. He really had quite the decibel range, especially when it came to topics that interested him. Like fighting. And the Blue Lions.

Although Yoongi appreciated good fighters like Minho, he could definitely do without their boisterous personalities. It was quite a shame. Minho probably would give him valuable fighting advice given his experience, if only Yoongi could stomach spending a minute with the guy.

_I mean, why did everyone feel the immense urge to get on his nerves?_ _What happened to good old fighting without needing to say a word?_ He couldn’t help but feel suffocated by the various attempts of his classmates to become friendly with him.

Unfortunately for them, Yoongi would always prefer a sword to any living, breathing human. His sword would always be there for him and if things went wrong, he only had himself to blame. The same couldn’t be said for “friends”.

_Blech._ Such sentiments disgusted Yoongi, even if there were only internal. He quickly shook his head in an attempt to wash such pathetic thoughts out. _Come on, focus on the battle Yoongi_.

At Minho’s side, two other knights—Kibum and Krystal—also visibly recoiled at their partner’s loud cheers, with Kibum even going as far as to clamp his hands around his ears.

Looks like the whole monastery had come out to witness the first mock battle of the school year. _Even more of an incentive to take everyone down_.

“Care to take it down a notch! Seriously, my precious ears are bleeding,” Kibum angrily shouted at the taller man in annoyance, only for Minho to smile back at him completely unbothered by his outbreak.

“No can do! I can’t help but feel patriotic and root for my Blue Lions over there! WOOHOO! Blue Lions for the win!”

If he didn’t stop yelling, Yoongi was going to show him _exactly_ what the Blue Lions could do. And it wasn’t going to be pretty.

Much to his displeasure, the other Blue Lions seemed to appreciate the support from Minho, judging by how Taehyung and Hoseok had joined in on his cheering. At least Rosie and Seokjin had the decency to act like normal people, only acknowledging the ruckus with a beaming grin and an ever-polite smile respectively.

“Well, as a citizen of the Adrestian Empire, I believe the Black Eagles will undeniably come out on top. I mean, we’re just raised at a different caliber than you guys from the other countries,” Kibum bragged, tossing a smug smirk over at the Blue Lions and Golden Deer houses before turning towards Princess Jisoo and giving her a small, respectful bow with a confident smile plastered to his face, “Princess, I must ask that you _please_ embarrass them out on the field.”

Jisoo acknowledged Kibum’s support with a small nod of her head, a resolute and bright look on her otherwise usually demure face. “Sir Kibum, you can rest assured that us ladies will teach them the power of Adrestia.”

Next to her, Jennie fiercely nodded her head in agreement while Lisa gave a small cheer in support at Jisoo’s statement. Yoongi just scoffed at their overt display of confidence.

_Looks like someone’s underestimating our capabilities. I’ll make sure to teach them a lesson they won’t be forgetting anytime soon._

“What about us?” Yugyeom directed his question towards the knights followed up by Taemin’s “Yeah!”, both of them not too pleased at having their house ignored.

Kibum and Minho shared a quick look with each other before simultaneously elbowing Krystal in the side. It was clearly her cue to speak up… not like she cared. Krystal just continued to look at the students with her trademark bored look plastered on her face, making it clear how entirely uninterested she was in the conversation.

Honestly, Yoongi could relate.

Not giving up, Minho continued to nudge her in the ribs while Kibum “whispered” (really they could all hear) to her from the side of his mouth. “Krystal… say something to them!”

With a loud sigh, she lazily locked eyes with the two before finally giving in to their pleading looks. The large eyeroll that followed displayed her clear annoyance with the situation. But at last, she finally spoke.

“Good luck out there. I’ll be cheering for the Golden Moose—”

“—Golden Deer,” Kibum quickly interrupted.

“—Golden Deer. Yeah, that’s what I meant. Goodbye.”

And with that, Krystal turned her back to the students, heading for higher ground to watch the mock battle. Everyone just stood there in shock, trying to process what had just happened.

_Hmm… she has quite a refreshing personality. If only she weren’t an archer_. _I mean, are you truly a capable fighter if you aren’t strong enough to fight close combat?_ Long-range fighters just had a tendency to irk him.

“Well that could have been worse,” Kibum finally remarked as Krystal’s figure disappeared off into the distance. Minho shrugged in agreement before grabbing Kibum’s arm (“ _Unhand me this instant!”)_ and forcibly dragging him away towards Krystal, trying to clear the field before the fighting started.

“I’m just surprised we were able to get anything out of her,” Jimin remarked with astonishment as the other Golden Deer students began to murmur around him. _(“Is it strange that I think her show of support actually made me feel better?”)_

As if on cue, Archbishop Jiyong, decorated in his white robes and golden regalia, took his place upon the hill, his strange green hair shinning in the sunlight. His naturally commanding aura, demanded the attention of everyone, even people like Yoongi who hated authority. At once the field fell silent.

With a serene smile, Jiyong called out to them, “Fighters! It is time to take your place. Under the guidance and watchful eyes of the Saints, make sure to give it your all. And of course, may the best house win!”

The houses each gave a resounding cheer as the Archbishop finished his speech, turning to give their fighters a final show of support as they made their way to their positions.

Off to his side, Hoseok and Rosie were busy enveloping Taehyung in a giant hug, which he gladly accepted because of course he would, face lighting up in happiness.

Next, they moved on to Seokjin, quickly being dwarfed by his tall height as they crowded into his chest. With all three of them nervous at the contact (Hoseok and Rosie at acting against proper etiquette by hugging their future king and Seokjin just at the mere act of being casual with his classmates), it ended up being quite the awkward hug. Not like any of them minded.

After pulling away, Rosie and Hoseok fixed him a mischievous look that made his skin crawl.

_NO! NO WAY IN HELL! THEY WOULDN’T POSSIBLY DARE!_

Too late. They both wrapped him in a hug before he even had a chance to pull out his sword to protect himself. Yoongi could feel Hoseok’s chest rumble with laughter as Rosie melodic laugh filled his ears. Seeing as he couldn’t free himself, Yoongi let himself succumb to their whims.

_I wasn’t because he liked the hug. Umm…yeah… that couldn’t be it. Heh._

Once the two devils pulled away, Yoongi was quick to fix them with an intense glare… which they promptly ignored in favor of giving the group one last “Good luck!” and heading up the hill to take their spots.

Up on the hill, the Archbishop was patiently waiting to give the signal to start. Yoongi took in one last deep breath, preparing himself for the fight ahead, as the Archbishop’s hands emitted a bright light, the magic emanating from his hands serving as the signal to being the fight.

That fight had finally started. And Yoongi was going to make sure their house took home the victory.

* * *

Jimin’s eyes bounced around the field, jumping from tree to tree, trying to analyze the other houses’ strategies as Jungkook and Namjoon patiently waited for his orders. Rushing in headfirst would surely lead to their immediate demise. No, it would be far smarter to wait for the other houses to engage first.

None of the Golden Deer stood a chance at taking down either Lisa or Yoongi without sacrificing all of their energy. This was a key fact that all three of them understood, making it crucial for those two swordfighters to wear each other down first. So for now, they were stuck waiting.

Jungkook was clearly starting to grow impatient, pacing around their hiding spot, and wanting nothing more than to show off his skills on the field. But Jimin wasn’t about to let him mess up their strategy. Good things come to those who wait. Plus, it was only a matter of time before the Blue Lions made their move.

As if to prove his point, Yoongi ran out from his hiding spot across the field, leading the way as he was flanked on the sides by both Taehyung and Seokjin, all three of them rushing forward to confront the Black Eagles head-on. The aggressive frontal attack was a bold plan, no doubt Yoongi’s idea.

The Golden Deer watched from their spot as Yoongi ran right up to Lisa, promptly identifying her as the biggest threat among the three women. Yoongi thrust his entire weight behind his sword, aiming straight for her chest, a move that Lisa skillfully blocked with a quick wave of her arm, their swords clashing together with the rough sounds of metal-on-metal echoing across the field.

It was like they were partaking in a complicated dance the way they fluidly moved around each other, darting in to land a few choice blows and then gracefully pulling back to avoid the other’s blows. It was a dance where only the better fighter would come out on top.

Jisoo and Jennie protected Lisa from any additional threats by keeping Seokjin and Taehyung preoccupied with their own attacks. With their attention busy, it was the perfect time for the Golden Deer to move out, which Jimin signaled to his teammates with a quick nod of the head.

Jungkook promptly raced out of their hiding spot with a violet glow spewing from his fingers as he prepared his magic, heading straight into the fray with Jimin close behind, arrow already locked into place and ready to aim. Namjoon trailed a bit further behind, prepared to serve his main role as a healer while still intentionally escaping the main brunt of the fighting.

Luckily, all the weapons had been magically enchanted so as to not cause any lasting harm to the students. Dying students was something the monastery typically wanted to avoid for obvious reasons.

The other two houses ignored the sudden movement by the Golden Deer, choosing instead to focus on the threat already in front of them. Jisoo found herself distracted by Seokjin’s attacks, the unnatural strength behind his lance strikes forcing her into a defensive strategy, something she clearly did not like, judging from the way the corner of her mouth drooped down into an almost imperceptible frown as her violet eyes lit up with determination.

The princess knew she was at a disadvantage—Seokjin had the range with his lance and the strength to wield it. And it certainly didn’t help that Taehyung was pelting arrows towards her feet, trying to mess up her rhythm long enough for Seokjin to take the final blow.

But just because she was at a disadvantage didn’t mean that she was going to give up. Jisoo narrowed her eyes in anticipation as Seokjin went in for an all too predictable hit. Yet instead of trying to block the hit with her axe, Jisoo jumped off to the side to avoid the lance, before immediately rushing closer to Seokjin, trying to eliminate the distance between them, and getting rid of his range advantage.

No longer at an advantage, Seokjin struggled to keep up with Jisoo’s hits, his eyebrows knit in concentration as his lance only just come up in time to sluggishly block her axe. The sudden change in approach also threw off Taehyung, who struggled with finding the perfect angle to shoot his arrow without also hitting his house leader. He bit the flesh on the inside of his mouth in irritation as his bow found it challenging to keep up with Jisoo’s brisk movements.

All of a sudden, Jennie cast a thunder spell in Seokjin’s direction, causing him to rather ungracefully leap out of the way in order to avoid it with a startled yelp, the abrupt maneuver triggering his boots to catch into the rocks, sending him on a one-way trip to the ground. A second too late and well…

Ouch. At least that’s what Seokjin gathered as he stared at the now scorched piece of earth where he once stood, alarm ringing through his features.

Both Jennie and Jisoo shared a confident look at seeing Seokjin fall flat on his face due to their combined efforts. The way the women interacted with each other… it was a clear display of just how close they truly were. Seokjin couldn’t help but think of how well the two fought together, successfully attacking their foes without even needing to utter a single word to each other. It was like they were on the same wavelength, their minds connected.

With Seokjin out of her way, Jisoo was free to face Taehyung who only watched in fear as she effortlessly weaved through any arrows sent her way, skillfully thrusting her weight from foot to foot without so much as an indication that she was fatigued from her previous interaction with Seokjin. The Black Eagles leader knocked the bow out of his hands once she was within range, putting an end to his last-ditch attempts at protecting himself. With his weapon out of hand, Taehyung could only pout as Jisoo placed her axe against his chest, a smug smile gracing her beautiful face, “I fear your time is up.”

_First one out_. _Eight to go._

A loud cacophony of cheers erupted from the hills where the spectators were watching the battle as they celebrated ( _or despaired)_ the first defeat of the mock battle, the sound flowing across the field to reach the fighters’ ears, giving them all a renewed strength to continue fighting.

Jennie sent a smirk over Jisoo’s way, electrified by the cheers of their peers. Jisoo’s eyes momentarily lit up in amusement at her friend’s reaction, before suddenly switching into a look of concern as she gestured to something behind Jennie’s back, raising her axe to her chest defensively as she ran over to Jennie.

_Danger,_ Jennie interpreted. Immediately, she pivoted on her feet, spinning to confront the new threat in front of her, hands placed in front of her body as she prepared to trace the rune for another thunder spell.

_Too late_.

Jennie stumbled over her feet as a dark cloud enveloped her body and obscured her vision, the tell-tale sign that a spell had been cast. She looked up in anger at her attacker as she stepped out of the magic cloud, meeting the timid eyes of Namjoon who fearfully raised his hands in front of him, looking like he was trying to apologize for that attack.

Jennie appeared positively affronted by his gesture of apology, letting a scoff tumble out of her lips— _How dare he use her own strength against her?_

Not feeling any indication that the spell had harmed her, which she quickly proved with a quick inspection of her body, Jennie prepared for a strike back, temper rising at having been caught off guard and at Namjoon’s lazy attempt at an attack. _If he wasn’t going to have enough confidence to land an effective strike, then why both attacking at all? What a frustrating waste of magic!!_

The dark-haired woman once again began to prepare her body to cast a spell, her hands instinctively tracing the rune of a spell that she had long since memorized to heart, lips muttering the necessary incantation with a slight smile as she anticipated Namjoon’s elimination at her hands. _TAKE THAT!_

…Only nothing happened.

Jennie’s eyes widened in surprise as she eyed her slender, well-manicured hands in confusion. _Not good._ Again, she traced the rune in the air, this time with a newfound sense of urgency, going as far as to shout out the incantation.

Nothing. Not even the glow of magic from her hands.

Worse even, was that not a single word had managed to slip through her lips, her incantation ringing silent in her ears. _But…she had been yelling!!! How was that possible? Unless…_

Namjoon had cast… a silencing spell!!!!

Jennie proceeded to let out a groan in frustration… which was of course silent. _Urgh! How was she supposed to fight now!_

It made quite the scene for the other fighters, Jennie’s mouth wide open as she let out silent screams, her hands helplessly clutching at her throat. Not content with being prevented from showing her frustration with the situation, Jennie resorted to childishly stomping her foot against the ground with an intense pout on her face.

Taking advantage of the situation ( _and probably also taking pity on her_ ), Jungkook directed his own sagittae spell towards Jennie, drowning her immediate area with glowing beams of light resembling arrows. With no way of protecting herself and Jisoo still too far away to prevent the imminent attack, Jennie was forced to succumb to the incantation, all the while fiercely glaring at the white-haired man in front of her. _Seven to go._

Jennie, wholly aware of how unnoble-like her previous outburst must have been, attempted to revert back to her usual refined appearance by calmy dusting off her uniform with a blank face. A closer look at the woman, however, would reveal to the onlooker how she was tersely gnawing on the inside of her cheek, trying to prevent herself from letting out a stream of profanities.

Jungkook noticed for sure, letting a smug look briefly flash across his face, feeling entirely proud of himself for besting a strong magic user like her. Jennie stomped her way over to join Taehyung on the side of the field meant for exiles like themselves, but not before pointedly staring at Jungkook as she mimed out slicing his throat open, a slender finger gliding across her own throat in silent warning that seemed to be saying “ _You’re dead Jeon”_.

Jungkook decided to take that as a compliment, sending Jennie a small wave as she walked away. Witnessing her friend being eliminated reignited a flame in Jisoo, lighting up a desire for well-justified revenge.

She directed her anger towards the Golden Deer leader who was currently pelting arrows in her general direction in his own attempts to get her eliminated as well. If they were going to get rid of Jennie, then she was going to ensure that the Golden Deer lost their leader. _Let’s see how long they last without him_.

Jisoo once again used her speed to her advantage, weaving through the arrows flying her way with little effort. As she inched closer to Jimin, Jisoo started to block the incoming arrows with the blade of her axe, flaunting the precise nature of her skills to the Golden Deer. Her actions caused some of the arrows to bounce off the metal blade, heading back in the direction they had been sent, leaving Jimin scrambling to avoid them, a few select arrows managing to nick his limbs before he could successfully move out of the way. Jimin grunted in discomfort ( _really more dissatisfaction than discomfort; he could have totally avoided them)_ as the arrowheads superficially scraped his skin.

Luckily, Namjoon was there behind him, mending the small cuts with a quick healing spell before they could become too bothersome. Jimin took a deep intake of breath as the pain slowly ebbed away. Unluckily, Jisoo had also managed to edge her way to him, lithe body ducking under the bow Jimin had shoved towards her chest in an effort to knock her off her feet. Her axe was placed against Jimin’s chest before he could so much as even reach for another arrow from the quiver strapped to his back.

“Urgh. So disappointing,” Jimin grumbled, raising his arms in defeat as Jisoo raised a perfectly styled eyebrow in response, taunting him further. “ _Or dear, that was far quicker than I expected”_ her look seemed to say, a mock look of surprise complementing the inquisitively raised eyebrow, both working in tandem to rile up Jimin. _The nerve._

Almost suddenly, Jisoo found herself knocked onto her feet, a lance directed at her neck. With her axe thrown to the side at the sudden attack, Jisoo had no way of protecting herself. Jimin lowered his raised hands, turning his head to see Seokjin standing over his victim. _Hmm,_ _looks like he took advantage of Jisoo’s distraction. Not bad._

“HEY,” Jisoo shouted, momentarily losing her composure.

Ever the gentleman, Seokjin sent Jisoo an apologetic smile with a small shrug of the shoulders, lowering down his lance from her body. Jisoo, however, did not like that reaction at all, glaring up at him in anger, violet eyes alit in flames at having been bested by Seokjin. And all because she was distracted by Jimin. _Embarrassing_.

“Now _that_ was faster than _I_ expected,” Jimin chuckled out, taking the opportunity to give Jisoo a taste of her own medicine, “Come on princess. Let’s go join the other losers.”

Jimin outstretched his arm in her general direction, offering her a hand up…one that she promptly shoved out of the way. Without so much as another word to the other two house leaders. Jisoo lifted herself to her feet and aggressively marched over to the side of the field, chin held high as a storm of dirt trailed after her.

“Okay then,” Jimin shrugged, gathering up his equipment going to trail after Jisoo. Well not before sending his teammates one last order, catching Namjoon’s eyes and jerking his head over to a completely distracted Seokjin whose eyes remained focused on Jisoo’s retreating frame and not on the other fighters.

Taking the ( _totally obvious, like did he even try to be conspicuous_ ) hint, Namjoon directed a nosferatu spell towards the oblivious man, enveloping Seokjin’s body in a bath of golden light. Seokjin let out an undignified squawk as he turned on his heels to face his attacker, fixing Namjoon with a surprised look.

“SORRY,” Namjoon promptly apologized as he nervously tugged on his uniform sleeves, even going as far as to direct a quick bow to the other man.

“No worries Namjoon. It seems I have been defeated by the better fighter,” Seokjin waved off with a light chuckle, a look of endearment plastered on his face upon realizing Namjoon was the one responsible for the attack. Namjoon just blushed at the praise, waving back goodbye as Seokjin went off to join the other defeated students. _Four to go._

To no one’s surprise, Lisa and Yoongi remained where everyone had left them, still locked in an intense battle of swords, completely oblivious to everything that had happened, neither one willing to accept defeat despite being worn down by the others’ intense strikes. Beads of sweat freely dripped down both fighters’ foreheads, demonstrating just how hard they were working to fend of the other. Their moves were also a bit more sluggish now, still a bit graceful but with an edge to them that seemingly begged for the eventual end to come.

Yoongi swung his sword in an arc with a sharp grunt, a move the Lisa promptly ducked under, hair flying as her back bent backward in avoidance of the attack. For a split second, Lisa was unable to defend herself, leaving herself vulnerable for an attack. Yoongi took advantage of her slow recovery, thrusting his sword forward without stop.

As if sensing his determination, Yoongi felt a familiar burst of power coursing through his veins, increasing the strength behind his attack. He didn’t need to look down at his wrist to know that a burning red design had appeared there—the familiar sign of the Crest of Min. A burst of red light emanating from his chest accompanied the activation of his crest, blinding Lisa who instinctively brought up her sword in front of her to block the attack.

_SMASH!_

Yoongi’s crest had supplied him with enough power to not only break through Lisa’s weak defense, but also completely decimate her weapon, her sword splintering into tiny pieces of metal under the force of his own attack. _The benefits of a crest_.

“No fair,” Lisa groaned weakly as she eyed to broken shards of her sword with dejection. _That was one of my favorites Yoongi! Dumb crests._

_Three to go._

Yoongi, quite smartly, had chosen not to linger around to arrogantly display his satisfaction with defeating Lisa, instead choosing to hurriedly scan the field, searching for the next person to fall victim to his blade.

_Found him_ , Yoongi mentally noted as he locked eyes with a frightening Namjoon, immediately darting forward to strike. Namjoon, bless his heart, was woefully prepared to deal with Yoongi, weakly holding his hands up in surrender as Yoongi placed the blade of his sword against his chest. Yoongi mentally smirked at the response. _Out in a matter of seconds. Easy._

With Namjoon out, only Yoongi and Jungkook remained left. _Two to go_.

Yoongi was really the last person that Jungkook wanted to be up against. He started to mentally calculate his next move, realizing that the amount of energy he had left would probably only give him a max of two more uses of magic.

_I can’t afford to mess up_ , Jungkook thought as he directed a fire incantation towards Yoongi…which he successfully evaded. _Damn._

“I fear you only have about one use of magic left. Best use it well Jeon,” Yoongi taunted, recognizing that Jungkook was almost at his limit.

The thinly-veiled verbal attack against magic users had Jungkook simmering with anger which he used to power his last spell, a simple thunder incantation, sending it Yoongi’s way.

Yoongi stood firmly in place, feet digging into the ground as the spell hurled towards him. Jungkook’s eyes widened in anticipation. _YES! THIS IS IT!_

Just before the spell could hit his opponent, however, Yoongi, surprising everyone, threw his body backward, sending the incoming wave of magic on a journey over his head and into the tree behind him, leaving behind a blackened scar on its trunk and the stench of burning wood. Yoongi must not have been content with simply sidestepping the spell, looking for the flashiest way of displaying his skills, successfully evading the attack at the last possible second. Jungkook would have scoffed at the arrogance if he weren’t currently panicking at the sudden turn of events. 

After straightening his back, sending his gaze back upright, Yoongi made quite the show at peeking over behind his shoulder, staring at the damage the tree had taken instead of him, amber eyes completely unimpressed by the sight.

“That’s it?” Yoongi lazily drawled out as he tilted his head back to meet Jungkook’s stare. The younger man just clenched his fists in irritation, earning him a cocky smirk from Yoongi. They both knew what it meant—Jungkook has exhausted all of his magic uses.

He was left vulnerable.

Not one to miss out on perfect opportunities, Yoongi wasted no time in racing towards Jungkook, his sword locked onto the younger man’s chest. _Time to put an end to this little game_.

Jungkook took in a deep breath as he prepared himself for the attack, his lips slightly quivering as he mentally readied himself for his next move. _Let’s see if you guys were good teachers or not,_ Jungkook mentally quipped as he reached into the leather sheath strapped along his waist, housing the training sword he had spent the last month practicing with. The faces of the other Golden Deer students briefly flashed across his face as he tightened his fist around the metal handle of the weapon— _Jimin, Namjoon, Taemin, Yugyeom, even annoyingly uptight Baekhyun, wish me luck._

The distance between Yoongi and Jungkook slowly shrank.

Five meters. Yoongi didn’t look the least bit intimidated as Jungkook pulled out his blade. _What was there to be afraid of about a child playing sword? Stick to magic next time kid._

Four meters. Jungkook planted his boots into the ground, readying himself for the incoming impact. _Take a deep breath Jungkook._

Three meters. Yoongi let out a small growl as he channeled his energy into the hands carrying his sword.

Two meters. Time seemed to tick slower as Jungkook darted his eyes around, analyzing everything minute detail about his opponent, from the way he gripped his sword to the way his shoes imprinted into the ground beneath him.

One meter.

_NOW!_

Jungkook brought his sword up for protection just as Yoongi attempted to slash across his chest, feet digging into the dirt as he held his ground under Yoongi’s strong attack, perfectly blocking the strike. The aggressive expression on Yoongi’s face immediately faltered, eyebrows scrunching in confusion at Jungkook’s sudden sword skills, looking down in bewilderment at how the other man’s blade was currently holding off his own sword.

_WHAT! I could have sworn—! HOW!_

Jungkook used the momentarily pause in Yoongi’s attack to his advantage, wasting no time in tumbling to the ground and kicking Yoongi’s feet from out beneath him, sending the older man on a plummet down onto the grass, back thumping loudly as it made contact with the stiff earth.

Leaping to his feet without hesitation, Jungkook planted a foot against Yoongi’s chest, keeping his opponent down as he forced the edge of his blade up against Yoongi’s throat before the other man could even recover from the sudden attack. A stream of curses bubbled up in Yoongi’s throat as Jungkook gazed down at him, chest heaving heavily as he tried to catch his breath, rose eyes shining brightly in victory.

The sudden bout of cheering coming from the spectators eventually broke both men out of their stupor. Jungkook fixed his attention on Jimin and Namjoon, both of whom were cheering their guts out at his win. Well, at least Jimin was. Namjoon was a bit more reserved in his celebration. Still, Jungkook couldn’t help the smile that made its way onto his face.

Yoongi used that moment to angrily shove Jungkook’s foot off of him, also swatting away the other man’s blade off of his neck now that he was distracted by his classmates. Yoongi just grabbed his sword and stomped off to the side, trying to avoid all the cheering festivities around him all the while cursing under his breath.

“You did it Jungkook! I knew from the start that you were going to be able to do it,” Jimin shouted into Jungkook’s ear as he simultaneously reached up to nuzzle his hair affectionately. 

Because it was a special celebration, Jungkook was going to allow such actions. His act of mercy was also why he let Namjoon smooth his now disheveled hair back into place, trying to rectify the mess Jimin had made. After all, as the main reason for the Golden Deer win, Jungkook had to look presentable.

Out of nowhere, Yugyeom and Taemin emerged, engulfed the younger man in a giant hug, squeezing the air out of him as they celebrated their victory. Jungkook couldn’t help but let out a scream of laughter at the actions of his classmates, a rosy blush that complimented his eyes dusting his cheeks at the sudden bout of praise.

Baekhyun stood a bit off to the side, slowly clapping in commemoration of their success, not wanting to get his uniform disheveled by such low-born methods of celebration. No, it wouldn’t be very noble of him to participate in such a ruckus. He would settle for more appropriate methods of celebration befitting his rank.

Unfortunately for Baekhyun, Jimin was in no such mood to accept his usual antics, yanking his hand and forcing him to join in on the group hug that was currently taking place, Jungkook smack-dab in the middle, the target of all their affections.

Jimin sent him a look that clearly said, “ _As part of the house, you need to take part in house celebrations, whatever they may be.”_

Baekhyun merely rolled his eyes in mock annoyance as he let himself be manhandled. _Fine, I’ll lower myself to your standing! Just this once at least._ He may have looked irritated, but really, Baekhyun was proud to call himself part of the winning house. _Just wait until father hears about this!_

“AHEM!”

The loud noise coming from behind the Golden Deer shook them out of their festivities, drawing their attention to the group of students behind them.

Jisoo was the first to approach them, a respectful smile on her face as she made her way over to Jimin, Jennie and Lisa trailing behind her.

“You guys put up a good fight out there,” Jisoo began with a refined tone and pleasant smile, as expected from her position as a princess. Yet her violet eyes seemed to indicate that her mind was elsewhere, like they were busy calculating some far away future.

That piqued Jimin’s interest. _I’ll just store that little tidbit for later_.

“It seems we underestimated your abilities,” Jisoo directed that statement to Jungkook in particular, locking her violet eyes with his rose ones, “Rest assured, we won’t make that mistake again.”

Jisoo offered out her gloved hand to Jimin in acknowledgment of the Golden Deer win, leader to leader, which Jimin proudly shook. Lisa and Jennie also took turns shaking his hand as Jisoo continued down the line, congratulating the rest of the Golden Deer. Jennie looked like she was forcing herself to be cordial as she faced Jimin with a strained smile, probably not wanting to embarrass Jisoo and their house by being a sore loser. _Guess she’s still upset at being taken out by Namjoon and Jungkook._ Lisa at least gave him a giant smile as she shook his hand, quite honestly happy for their victory.

Next to share their felicitations came Seokjin and the rest of the Blue Lions. Seokjin gave Jimin a respectful bow, his azure cloak fluttering around his shoulders at the movement.

“My classmates and I offer our sincere congratulations for your triumph in the mock battle,” Seokjin remarked with a kind smile, “We’ll definitely have to work harder in the future if we want to keep up with you—WHOA!”

The interruption had been caused by none other than Yoongi, who had decided to shove Seokjin out of the way as he marched directly in front of Jungkook, his burning stare locking onto the younger man who was mentally ( _and physically)_ preparing himself for another fight. Everyone watching tensed up at the sudden confrontation wondering what was going to happen next. Jimin slowly reached for his bow, ready to protect his classmate if needed.

Surprising everyone, Yoongi simply offered Jungkook a hand, his stare softening down into his usual glare. “You did good out there Jeon. A bit more practice and you could become a real menace with that sword. If you want more practice, you know where to find me,” Yoongi grunted as he shook Jungkook’s hand.

“I might just take you up on that offer,” Jungkook replied, his lips quirking up into a grin. Praise from Yoongi of all people—now that was the true win of the day.

Just like that, the tension in the air diffused. The other students all let out a breath that they didn’t know they had been holding in.

“YOONGI! Look at you being a good sport and all! And offering to help him train? Who knew you could be _sooo_ sweet,” Hoseok crooned as he enveloped Yoongi in a giant hug… one that Yoongi promptly tried to shake off (“ _I will end you Jung!” he menacingly whispered into Hoseok’s ear)._

The rest of the Blue Lions gave their congratulations (Seokjin a polite shake of the hand, Taehyung an exaggerated fist bump, and Rosie a quick vocal serenade) as Hoseok tried to escape Yoongi’s wrath by trying ( _and failing_ ) to hide behind Jungkook’s back. 

At the crowning ceremony, the Golden Deer stood on a makeshift pedestal in front of the other students as they received their rewards.

First came Chanhyuk and Soohyun, both green-haired siblings carrying elegant golden, silk sashes which they adorned over the winners’ bodies. Soohyun gave them her signature beaming smile, her bright green eyes shining with mirth, eliciting a smile from all the Golden Deer, because really, when fixed with such a contagious look, who wouldn’t? Chanhyuk, meanwhile, looked like he would rather be in the cathedral working on some music for the choir. He was probably only here because he was forced to by his siblings.

Next came the Knight of the Church, led by Captain Rain, who each took their turn congratulating the Golden Deer with a handshake (or in Minho’s case, an enthusiastic pat on the back that was a _tad_ bit too forceful). Jimin peeked over at Yugyeom who seemed to be shaking with excitement, mouth open in unfiltered awe at having been able to shake the hand of _THE_ Captain Rain, one of his biggest idols. At least Jungkook seemed to be playing it a bit more cool, biting down on his lip in an attempt to keep down a goofy grin at the once in a lifetime experience. Jimin couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle at their reactions. _How adorable_.

Lastly came Archbishop Jiyong and second-in-command Taeyang, who handed Jimin a rather large, ornate, gold trophy. Jimin studied the trophy, feeling its weight in his arms, roaming his eyes over the gilded design and the engraved placard at its base with pride. _This was going to look GREAT in the classroom!_

The Archbishop graced the winning students a serene look, the golden tassels on his elaborate headpiece swaying in the wind with the movement. With an outstretched hand, Archbishop Jiyong gestured to the students in front of him, a demure smile on his lips, “Please take this trophy as a reward for your victory. Let’s give one final round of applause to our winner of the mock battle—the Golden Deer!”

In a show of great sportsmanship, the other students let loose a barrage of cheers and hollers which the Golden Deer gladly basked in. They did deserve it after all.

At the conclusion of the award ceremony, Jimin, Taemin, and Yugyeom all shared a knowing look, before the latter two lifted Jungkook off his feet and hoisted him onto their shoulders. Jungkook just yelped in surprise, completely giving in to their obnoxious actions with an amused eyeroll, letting them carry him off to the dining hall.

“Come on everyone! Time to eat! Our treat!” Jimin yelled out as he gestured to the other students to head over to the celebratory dinner thrown in their honor. The other houses followed the lead of the Golden Deer in merriment, as Jungkook basked in the glowing light of the sunset on top of his friends’ shoulders, his silhouette imprinted on the horizon above everyone else.

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to this Three Houses AU that nobody asked for! Sorry if there are any mistakes, I just wanted to get this up before taking a small break. This chapter got really long really quick and I expect it will be a continuing trend, so expect slow and long updates in the future. 
> 
> You don't need to have played the game to understand the story. Also, for those who did play the game, don't expect like you'll know exactly what is going to happen. I gotta keep some suspense here :)
> 
> Additonal tags will follow as I go. Not entirely sure about what ships to include so I'm open to any ideas! Thanks for reading!


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